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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28441026">Maybe, sort of, kind of, possibly</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberry_Cupcakes/pseuds/Blueberry_Cupcakes'>Blueberry_Cupcakes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Love Island (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>All the banter, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Light BDSM, Love, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:15:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>201,447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28441026</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberry_Cupcakes/pseuds/Blueberry_Cupcakes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jess didn't come to the Villa to find love. Love sucks. Yeah yeah, she gets it, 'oh another tortured soul, not wanting to find love but then finding it anyway'. Pfft. That's not going to be her. Is it? We're all here wondering how long she'll keep telling herself that.</p><p>Bobby thinks this whole show is a little stupid, but he's just going to lean into it and have fun. Plus, you know, try to find something... real??? Which is why he tries his hardest not to start anything with a certain spunky brunette who is a pain in his arse. But he just can't seem to stay away. He isn't even trying that hard. Because he's an idiot. Obviously.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bobby McKenzie &amp; Main Character (Love Island), Bobby McKenzie/Main Character (Love Island)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>255</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>119</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. So we've got something in common then?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! First time writing one of these so... sorry if it's utter shit. Still posted it though #YOLO</p><p>1. There's a lot of swearing &amp; open chat about sex, and I'm not gonna give you warnings about smut. There's smut in this fic. This is your warning.<br/>2. Characters and events are not always/hardly ever canon.<br/>3. I gave Jess the best lines. What? She deserves it after the shit she's about to go through!<br/></p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eh. Boring first day crap. Actually, some of it is funny and hardly any dialogue is the same. Still. Lame.</p><p>Omelettes are made. Boundaries are established. Bobby sucks some toes (finally, am I right?) and Jess spouts out some nonsense (honestly, this girl loves the sound of her own voice. No one cares Jess).</p><p>A fucking goddess arrives (yeah, Priya, how'd you guess?) and the Villa has a party, kind of, not really.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>I’m Jess Miller, and blondes definitely don’t have more fun than me!</em> <em>I’m 26, from London and work in IT. All of that stuff is really boring though, so here’s all you need to know about me,</em>” she smiled as she looked directly into the camera, “<em>I’m here to have fun. Screw. Love.</em>”</p><p><em>Ugh, I really couldn’t come up with anything better than that?</em> She was two minutes into this nightmare and already she hated herself.</p><p>Jess looked around the camera and the producer gave her a thumbs up. Thank fuck. One of the crew came over to tell her she had a few minutes before she was going to make her entrance and meet all the girls.</p><p>
  <em>Yaaaayyyy... not.</em>
</p><p>Jess always got on better with boys. It wasn’t that she didn’t like hanging out with girls, just that boys had sooo much less fucking drama. And let’s be honest, they had dicks too, and Jess loved a good ol’ fuck buddy. It was the reason she was even here on this stupid game show dedicated to “looking for love”. She scoffed at the thought that you could find love here. She’d calculated the success rate of the past seasons. Fucking low.</p><p>But her sister (and best friend) Sophie, had just got engaged and cooed at her one day that she should stop messing around and settle down too. She’d told Jess that she just wanted her to be happy. "I <em>am</em> happy," she’d always say, and she meant it too. It was a conversation they’d had many times before.</p><p>Jess had only had one serious relationship, and that ended four years ago. Badly. Since then she hasn’t met anyone she felt strongly about and preferred friends-with-benefits type situations - getting rid of them when they started talking about the feels. Look, she believed in love, but she also believed in all the walls she’d put up to protect her own heart. Once was enough, thanks.</p><p>On this occasion, Sophie just happened to be having this conversation at the local pub, while they hung out with a few of their mutual friends. One of them had suggested that Jess go on Love Island, and she’d laughed so loud they caught the attention of the table next to them. Long story short, they agreed to a bet. Jess was very competitive and loved to win, especially when the stakes were high. If she lost, she’d agree to the stupid show, if she won, her sister would not have this conversation with her again. She was in. Figuring that even if she lost, they’d never accept her application.</p><p>Yeah, she lost. And then she got a call back.</p><p>She made a pact with herself before she came on. <em>Never get serious with anyone.</em> She knew they were all probably looking for love. She wasn’t. It would end up in heartbreak with the added bonus of the entire country hating her. Probably why the producers loved her, she had rambled on in her interview about not wanting to find love and they ate it up. Heartbreak was good for ratings, but she was determined not to give it to them. Easier to just stay away. And specifically, she had to stay away from anyone who might get under her skin.</p><p>She looked in the mirror, checking everything was in the right place. Her long brown, naturally wavy hair hung just past her shoulders, looking great, as always. Her piercing blue eyes were accented with mascara and a touch of eyeliner, and she’d put some tinted moisturiser on too for good measure. She may have to wear nice clothes, thanks to the new outfits Sophie had picked out for her, but she didn’t have to put on tons of make-up and she certainly wasn’t going to start today. What, just because there were a million people watching on the telly? Pfft.</p><p>She wore a bright green bikini, whose top left little to the imagination of her C cup breasts and bottoms that were way too tiny to be legal -  the thin straps were pulled high up on her waist and wrapped in the front, low on her stomach. Sophie had made sure to choose the right outfit to show off allll of Jess’s hourglass figure.</p><p>Jess sighed as she looked at herself. In hindsight, she should have known she was pretty enough to be selected for this show; she had amazing genes. It was easy to forget when you walked around in jeans and a crop sweatshirt every day. Working in IT meant that she had to fight to not be overlooked as just the ‘pretty face’, so she never really tired too hard. Especially because whenever she did, people automatically assumed she was out of their league, too much of a princess, or worse, arm candy. Gross.</p><p>One of the producers signalled it was time to get ready so she channelled fun Jess, the part of her that was comfortable in her own skin and just wanted to have a laugh.</p><p><em>Let’s get this over with</em>.</p><p>She walked into a large communal bedroom, lined with beds and saw four girls already sitting down on some of the beds, talking. They all looked up as she walked in, stopping their conversation and looking her up and down. <em>Ugh</em>.</p><p>Jess gave them a friendly smile as she walked over and plopped down on a bed next to a gorgeous Amazonian looking woman, “Hi Ladies, I’m Jess!”</p><p>“Well, would you look at you! You look like tough competition,” she threw her head back and laughed, “I’m Hope, 25, Sales &amp; Marketing for a toy company.”</p><p>She had on a gorgeous bikini that perfectly showed off her dark skin. Her hair was braided and went down to her ass from it’s high pony. Her makeup was perfect shades of greens and yellows and Jess automatically loved how confident she looked.</p><p>Across the room, a girl covered in tattoos, with dark eyes and lipstick to match, spoke in a semi-friendly, semi-pissed off tone, “I’m Lottie, 27, makeup artist.”</p><p>She spoke with an accent that Jess recognised.</p><p>“Australian?”</p><p>“Mhm,” Lottie responded curtly. She had a wicked resting bitch face and was clearly stand-offish. Jess liked her already. What could she say? She was a sucker for a bitchy attitude. Lottie’s dark bikini, with lines and straps everywhere, looked amazing and her hair was blonde with pink tips. She was giving off mad witch vibes and Jess prayed she had a dark sense of humour to match.</p><p>“Jess, right? I’m Hannah, 23, social media assistant,” Hannah spoke in a very soft and sweet voice, she looked adorable. Her red hair tied in a long plait, with a bikini on that matched the colour of her eyes; baby blue. She seemed really sweet, if a bit shy, probably naïve too.</p><p>Last up was a beautiful blonde-haired woman, who Jess noticed watched all the interactions with scrutinising eyes, like she was trying to analyse them all.</p><p>“I’m Marisol, 26, studying to be a lawyer.” Marisol wore glasses, and a black wrap two piece that highlighted her curvy figure. <em>Damn she was hot.</em></p><p>Unable to stop herself Jess murmured “Mmmm... you have the sexy lawyer look down...”</p><p>Marisol blushed in response.</p><p>Hope laughed, “Might want to wait till the boys get here before you start flirting Jess.”</p><p>“Can never start too early,” Jess quipped, giving Marisol a wink that made her blush even more.</p><p>“Just don’t flirt with my man,” Lottie snarled.</p><p>
  <em>Jesus.</em>
</p><p>Jess put her hands up in defence, “Woah, I’m not planning on stealing anyone’s man, take it down a beat yeah?”</p><p>Lottie seemed satisfied by that and nodded.</p><p>Hannah sighed sadly, “But we might not be able to promise that. I just want to find my prince charming…”</p><p><em>Kill me now.</em> How Jess managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes, only god knew. Girl needed a reality check.</p><p>With more willpower than she thought possible, she held back and instead cheerfully said, “Let’s just have fun today! I don’t know about you girls, but I’m ready to go out there meet some boys and have a great time!”</p><p>“Yes Jess!” Hope smiled, and all the girls cheered and smiled too, the mood a lot brighter than second ago.</p><p>
  <em>At least they were easy to impress.</em>
</p><p>“We were just talking about why we’re all single,” Lottie said, “Me, Marisol and Hope have been dating douche bags and we’re hoping to find someone more serious in here. Hannah has just got out of a long-term relationship and is looking for Mr. Darcy.”</p><p>Hannah sighed dreamily “What’s your story Jess?”</p><p>“Oh, well I guess I just don’t like to be tied down, you know?”</p><p>“Wait, so you haven’t had any serious relationships?” Marisol looked at her questioningly.</p><p>“I like to keep things casual,” Jess shrugged; she really didn’t want to get into her whole dating history with them so early.</p><p>“But this is Love Island, you’re looking for love right?” Hannah asked.</p><p>“No,” she wasn’t going to lie about it; she literally just finished telling the world she wasn't, in her vapid intro. <em>Fucking embarrassing.</em></p><p>“Then why -”</p><p>Marisol was interrupted by a loud <em>Ding.</em></p><p>“Oh Em Gee! I got a text!” Hannah bounced up and down as she read it out, “Girls, get ready to go out and meet the boys #boysboysboys #getyourgrafton.”</p><p>All the girls squealed with barely contained excitement. Well everyone except Jess. It wasn't <em>that</em> exciting; it's not as though they didn't know this was gonna happen. The producers told them all this.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Jess felt her phone vibrate and looked down, “Jess, you’re up first #firstisbest #timetoimpress.”</p><p>She was ready for this shit.</p><p>“Good luck babe,” Hope said to her as she jumped up to walk to the door.</p><p>“Trust me, I don’t need luck. I’ve got all of this,” she did a little hip wiggle as she talked, “See you girls out there! Promise to save some for you,” winking at them. Hope and Lottie laughed, but Hannah glared at her. <em>Oh get over it</em>.</p><p>Jess stood in front of the door, waiting for her cue. She checked to make sure everything was in the right place, getting more and more excited to go out there and see what the boys are like – she might not be looking for anything, but she was damn sure going to have fun while she was here.</p><p>One of the producers came over to her and told her that she would get a text with a short profile on each of the boys in the order they are standing. Right now, the boys would get a text with her profile, so they knew a little about her. She was told to go out and stand on a star in the middle of the lawn, that was her marker. She could introduce herself to all the boys and once she was done, she’d get a text with instructions on what to do next. Jess nodded absentmindedly; it wasn’t fucking rocket science.</p><p>She looked at her phone and scrolled through the text she’d just got:</p><p>
  <em>Gary, 25, Crane Operator</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Noah, 27, Head Librarian</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ibrahim, 26, Professional Golfer</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rocco, 27, Food Truck Operator</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bobby, 28, Hospital Catering Manager</em>
</p><p>Jess took a moment to memorise the information; she had a great memory for details – it was what made her so great at her job. Once she was done, she put the phone back in her mic pack that was slung low on her hips, took a deep breath, and opened the door.</p><p>She could immediately see where the boys were standing. Who wouldn’t notice five incredibly tall and gorgeous guys, all standing in a line, looking directly at her? Plus, all five boys were unashamedly checking her out, their eyes scanning up and down her body as she walked, and they were all grinning like idiots. It felt fucking amazing. She decided to take her time walking to her mark, enjoying every moment of this ego trip. Something about the fact they were here, meeting for the first time, half naked, on a dating show where you win by finding love, in the middle of Spain, had her smiling to herself. How did her life turn into this? <em>This is so fucking stupid.</em></p><p>As she finally reached them, she heard the first guy, Gary, she recalled, whistle and mutter, <em>“Fuck me,”</em> slowly under his breath, probably assuming she was too far away to hear him. Another stroke for her ego. Thanks bud.</p><p>Gary was the shortest one there, but he was built like a tank. His biceps bulged under the sun, and his very slight tan made his tattoos stand out. Jess wasn’t a huge fan of his body; muscles were great, but hours spent at the gym and obsessive meal planning? Not so much. But he had a cute, rugged face, and she could tell that he was a proper lad. Exactly the kind of guy she’d usually go for… and those muscles probably helped in the bedroom... <em>Ugh, stop thinking like that</em>. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had girls lining up outside his door though, he seemed like the type who had a string of casual relationships.</p><p>“That’s such a sweet offer Gaz, but probably not <em>right now</em>, kinda in the middle of something here,” she gestured to all the boys, who immediately started sniggering.</p><p>Gary blushed and shifted back and forth on his feet, stuttering, “Oh, I uh, yeah, it’s Gary, not Gaz.”</p><p>“I guess we’ll see,” Jess winked at him, staring into his eyes as she continued, “about the nickname… and that other thing.”</p><p><em>Fuck, why did I say that?</em> She had always been a flirt, but this was probably not the right time. She internally cringed, wondering if all the boys now thought she was easy. Not a great first impression.</p><p>“Get in!” he yelled out and pumped his fist in the air. <em>Ew.</em></p><p>She gave him a small smile and turned to the guy next to him.</p><p>“You must be Noah?”</p><p>And daammnn, Noah was <em>fine</em>! The tallest of them all, with dark brown hair, chocolate coloured skin and deep, brooding eyes. Literally Mr tall, dark and handsome. He had a great body, but it was nothing like the previous guy, this was all subtle toned muscles. The best part of him was his eyes; Jess felt herself getting lost in them as he stared at her intently.</p><p>He smiled, a small nervous smile, “Yeah.”</p><p>Jess looked at him questioningly, waiting for him to continue, but he didn’t. Silent type huh? Or maybe he was just really nervous? Jess racked her brains trying to think of something, he was a Librarian right, she loved to read but all of a sudden nothing was coming to her. She just kept staring at him, her mind blank.</p><p>
  <em>Ok, say something, anything, Jesus.</em>
</p><p>“Bit weird, isn’t it?” she finally said on a breathy laugh.</p><p>
  <em>Wow. Fucking Jane Austin over here. Seriously Jess, stop impressing everyone with your eloquence. Fucking dumbass.</em>
</p><p>He smiled brightly at her, and his eyes shone as they both fell into silence. She wasn’t uncomfortable with the lack of chat, but she decided she needed to move on before they went back to staring at each other again and all the boys thought she was a weirdo as well as easy.</p><p><em>Pull your shit together</em>.</p><p>She turned the next guy who had a massive grin on his face already, “Hi, I’m Ibrahim, and you’re like winning all four golf tournaments in one year...”</p><p>“Mmm?”</p><p>“Because you’re a gland slam.”</p><p>
  <em>Oof, awful joke, mate.</em>
</p><p>The guy on the far right was holding back a chuckle as she smiled brightly at Ibrahim.</p><p>If Noah was tall, dark and handsome, Ibrahim was tall, darker and fucking gorgeous. She eyed his abs and her fingers twitched as she thought about running her fingers down them, trailing them lower and lower… <em>Nope, mind out of the gutter</em>. He stood tall and confident, but she could see that he was freaking out behind his eyes. He had started with a joke, so maybe he was funny too? She couldn’t wait to find out.</p><p>She winked at him and he flexed his muscles.</p><p>She turned to the next guy, Rocco, taking in the casual way he stood, like he was just going with the flow and gave the world zero fucks. Jess instantly liked his attitude. He was wearing bracelets around his wrist and had long red hair flowing over his shoulders and he grinned at her casually. He was buff, but not too buff, his skin tanned as though he spent all day outside. He probably did; he looked like a surfer and she knew the type – hard to tie down.</p><p><em>Fucking perfect, no chance of heartbreak here</em>.</p><p>“Hi beautiful,” he drawled, a slight accent to his voice, “I’m looking forward to making a connection with you.”</p><p>Jess smiled at him sweetly, “What kind of connection?”</p><p>He dropped his voice low, “Any kind you want.”</p><p>“Maybe you’ll get a chance to find out exactly what I want,” she said with a wink, then looked over at the last guy, ending the chat before he could reply.</p><p>She knew this was Bobby. He was… stunning. His golden, caramel brown skin was scattered with freckles that looked like they’d been placed with purpose. His eyes drew her in, sparkling with amusement and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. He was definitely going to be the comedian of the group. Her eyes wandered down of their own accord. He was the third tallest and was leaner than the other guys. She was more than alright with that; he was still fit, with natural looking abs and still had that sexy ‘v’ thing going on… as she eyed his stomach, she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on under his shorts. <em>Damn it, I need to stop thinking about sex</em>.</p><p>She drew her eyes back up to his face and he was smiling smugly at her, one eyebrow quirked at her. Crap, he’d definitely noticed her staring. She wasn’t going to let him have this one though, something about him made her want to immediately take him down a peg.</p><p>Pursing her lips, she feigned indifference, “So that must make you Robert?”</p><p>His grin widened, “Wrong.” </p><p>“Oh sorry… Steve then?” She pretended to scroll through her phone like she was looking for his profile. She held it up so she looked like she was comparing notes. She looked at him, then the screen, then back at him “Bit short to be a basketball player aren’t ya?” Though, not by much. He was still a head taller than she was, that’s for sure.</p><p>He rolled his eyes playfully, “Aye, sorry tae disappoint, <em>Jessica.</em>” <em>Was that an accent? Scottish?</em></p><p>She smirked at him, “Wrong.” <em>Just Jess.</em></p><p>“So we’ve got something in common then hmm?” He lazily rocked back on his heels as he said it, like he didn’t really care either way.</p><p>“I imagine you’d be wrong <em>a lot</em> more often than me.”</p><p>He let out a bark of laughter, “<em>I</em> imagine a lotta guys would let yer think yer right,” his face turned serious, but she could tell from the way his eyes were still sparkling that he was still joking around, “I won’t.”</p><p>Jess was loving the banter; she loved someone who challenged her, and this beautiful man was doing exactly that. She’d pegged him as the class clown, but now she was starting to think he might actually be a lot smarter than she first gave him credit for. He was her type to a fucking Tee. She for sure was <span class="u"><em>not</em></span> going to be picking him.</p><p>She thought about saying something snarky back, but she was conscious of the four other boys staring at their exchange. Not hiding her smile anymore, she went with the truth, as she always did, “I think you and I are going to get along great Bobby.”</p><p>He smiled at her and it made butterflies start a small, barely-there dance in her belly. Shit. She didn't come here for butterflies.</p><p>“Aye Jess, like a house on fire.”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>She looked at her phone and read it out, “If you fancy a piece of this…” she absentmindedly gestured to all of herself, “step forward.”</p><p>She really hoped only one of them stepped forward. She hated making decisions, preferring to just go with the flow.</p><p><em>Pleeaase, someone make the choice for me</em>. She was so bad at making choices, always ending up making the wrong one. That’s why she was here in the first place – obviously agreeing to the bet was a big part, but also with all the bad decisions she’d made that lead her to that moment. Her laundry list of failed <em>‘relationships’</em>, to be specific.</p><p>Alas, none of them had heard her silent prayer, and she silently watched all but Noah step forward.</p><p><em>Ok fine, let’s do this then</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Jess had first walked out, his mind had gone blank for a moment and all he could do was stare. Like a moron.</p><p>She had strolled over to them slowly, looking relaxed and completely at ease with this whole thing. Her smile was the highlight, her face looked like a fucking Christmas tree the way it was lit up. He wondered briefly if she was a pageant girl who had perfected her smile over years of practice but dismissed it as she stood in front of them. Her legs were spread as wide as her hips, shoulders back, arms at her sides and one hip ever so slightly jutted to the right. It was a power pose – she was not a beauty queen. It was a look that said, ‘I love to put myself out there’. <em>Was she really this confident? Or was she putting it on?</em> Either way, he was impressed by it. He looked into her eyes, which shone as bright as the sky, and he felt a twitch in his cock. Fuck. <em>This was going to be a long day</em>.</p><p>She went down the line, meeting each of the boys and when she got to him, he couldn’t help but admire how quick she was. When she was done, he’d learnt exactly four things about Jess: She was confident, funny, smart, and she was an <em>absolute</em> fucking flirt. We’re gonna get along great.</p><p>Of course he stepped forward. No brainer. He wondered why she seemed a bit put off after four of them stepped up. She’d basically won the lottery, right?</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Bobby watched as Jess looked down at her phone, smirking, clearly shaking off her mood. As she looks up, eyes scanning down the line, and he watches as her eyes turn mischievous and she cocks her head to the side as she speaks, “They want me to ask each of you why you stepped forward, but that’s no fun. Let’s ask some real questions hmm?”</p><p>She smiles as she steps forward, walking over to Gary, doing a weird little skip on her first step as she does, like she is having a fucking blast. He loved it.</p><p>Standing in front of Gary, one hand on her hip, she says slowly, “Tell me Gary, how many times have you hit and run?”</p><p>Bobby had to hold back a laugh. She was definitely smart. All the boys already know he’s the one who’s slept with the most girls – it was one of the things they’d first talked about before they came to stand out here. Bobby took the second-place trophy. Not that he was proud of it. Ok, well maybe a little. What? He'd learnt a thing or two and was really fucking good at it.</p><p>Gary chokes a bit, “What you mean like with a car?”</p><p>Jess doesn’t say anything, just raises an eyebrow at him, looking at him expectantly.</p><p>Gary blushes and looks down the line at the other boys with a ‘help me’ expression on his face. That does it, most of the boys let out a chuckle.</p><p>Clearing his throat, Gary looks at the ground, “Oh, um, a few times I guess...”</p><p>Jess grins at him, clearly happy with his answer for some reason and skips over, past Noah, to stand in front of Ibrahim. <em>This should be good; the guy has no chat</em>.</p><p>“Hi handsome,” she smiles softly at Ibrahim, who immediately blushes, “Tell me a joke?”</p><p>“Uh,” Ibrahim shuffles from side to side for a few seconds, “Girl, are you a dam?”</p><p>She lifted an eyebrow at him in question.</p><p>“Because you’ve got me like ‘Beaver’! Oh wait, that’s not… I…” he blushes even harder and looks down at the ground, clearly very embarrassed.</p><p>All the boys crack up laughing and Jess lets out a small giggle before shushing them, “Don’t listen to em babes, I knew what you were going for. I liked it.”</p><p>He looked up and gave her an appreciative smile.</p><p>She taps her chin for a second, before asking, “Your joke was a pickup line? Does that mean that you think it’s a joke that you would try to pick me up?” More snorting from other boys.</p><p>“No!” Ibrahim almost yells at her, shocking everyone and making her eyes go wide. Quieter he says, “No, I uh… just… it was -”</p><p>She cuts him off with a wave of her hand, “I’m just teasing you,” she smiles warmly.</p><p>“Oh, well… uh…” he blushes even harder as he trails off. Bobby was trying really hard not to laugh out loud.</p><p>“Don’t worry babes, I think you’re cute,” she winks at him, then walks towards Rocco.</p><p>Jess stands in front of the guy next to Bobby and relaxes her shoulders. She makes it look like she could do this all day. He is starting to get the feeling that she isn’t putting on a show and is actually in her element here. He’s also wondering what she’ll ask him; he’s excited to play her little game.</p><p>“Hmmmm...” Jess taps her chin with one finger and looks Rocco up and down, “Have you ever had an <em>official</em> girlfriend?”</p><p>She stresses the word official, making it clear to everyone that she thinks he’s a guy to never settle down. All the boys are smirking a little at that.</p><p>Rocco smiles and steps a little closer and in a slow drawl replies, “Sounds like you want the position?”</p><p>He looks her up and down, “I happily accept.”</p><p>“Oh babe, you couldn’t handle any of the positions I’m a fan of,” she said in a slow, sultry voice.</p><p>Jess threw him a wink and giggled as she left Rocco standing there with his mouth open.</p><p>She looked Bobby directly in the eye as she came to a stop in front of him, her eyes sparkling as she smirked at him. <em>Bring. It. On.</em></p><p>He stared right back, putting on his usual confident air and raised his eyebrow in challenge.</p><p>“If you were any kind of food what would you be?”</p><p>What? He hadn’t expected such an easy question.</p><p>Without any hesitation, “Easy. Cupcake ‘cuz I’m sweet and delicious.”</p><p>She smirked, “Are you the kind with a creamy filling?”</p><p>“That’s two questions, yer only get one.”</p><p>“Seems like a yes to me,” she said in a sing-song voice.</p><p>“Wouldn’t yer like to find out?” he quipped.</p><p>Jess laughed, throwing her head back and smiling wide as she did. <em>Damn, she had a gorgeous laugh. </em></p><p>“Pick me and yer’ll be laughing all the way to the bedroom.”</p><p>From the other end, Gary yelled out, “And in it.”</p><p>Jess grinned over at Gary and giggled as her eyes landed back to Bobby’s, “And now there’s two things I’d like to find out.”</p><p>She threw him a wink, laughing as she walked backwards to stand in the middle again. Not breaking eye contact. Damn. He really wanted her to find out too.</p><p><em>Ding</em>.</p><p>She looks down at her phone, reads it, then looks up at all the boys, looking thoughtful.</p><p>“Usually I’d go with my first instinct…” She paused and her eyes slowly travelled over to look Bobby in the eyes, studying him intently. He couldn’t figure out what she was thinking, she was definitely intriguing him, and he hadn’t wanted to get to know someone this much in a very long time, “… but I didn’t come here to do the same... thing... I’ve always done.”</p><p>“Ha!” Gary laughed from down the end and Jess grinned at him, clearly enjoying her own inuendo, and probably the fact that someone else got it.</p><p>“I’m going to go with the guy who seems as chill as me,” she smiles and looks across the line before settling her eyes on Rocco, “You’re with me babes.”</p><p>Rocco belts off a bunch of French and Bobby has to force himself not to roll his eyes. Jess skips over and leans up to give him a kiss on the cheek, giggling a little to herself. He held back a laugh as he thought about how quickly she’d tire of Rocco. Jess she seemed like a freaking spitfire; he gave it a day. But whatever, she didn’t choose him. <em>Friends it is</em>.</p><p>Now that she was standing in between the hippie and himself, Bobby looks over and gives Jess one of his signature grins. She winks and turns back to face the front as everyone gets a text with the details of the next girl who is coming out next.</p><p>Bobby looks down at his phone, out of the corner of his eye he sees Jess leaning over to peek at Rocco’s.</p><p>
  <em>Marisol, 26, studying law.</em>
</p><p>Just as he’s finished reading, he feels Jess’s eyes on him and looks up at her, an eyebrow raised. She was looking at him with her eyes wide, like she’s trying to tell him something and she subtly and slowly shakes her head. Just then the Villa doors open and Marisol walks out, Jess turns her attention and beams a smile at her. Wait, is she trying to tell me not to step forward for Marisol? He assumes the girls all talked backstage too before coming out here, maybe she doesn’t think they’re a good match. He debates with himself a little as they all go through the motions of introducing themselves. Bobby blanked a little, his joke falling flat. Marisol asks if anyone wants to step forward and he decides that Jess doesn’t know him at all. Marisol is beautiful and she’s confident too - he’s going for it. He steps forward immediately with boldness and confidence, mostly just to spite the brunette next to him. Marisol actually ends up picking him, coming to stand on his other side with a confident smile.</p><p>He catches eyes with Jess and looks at her as if to say, <em>‘I can do what I want’</em>, just daring her to take the bait. Instead she just looks amused and gives him a small shrug. He gets the impression that she thinks she’s going to be right about this. And he really wants to prove her wrong.</p><p>Bobby tunes out a bit and eventually everyone is coupled up. Lottie with Ibrahim, Hope with Noah and Hannah with Gary. He’s not convinced on that last one to be fair.</p><p>“What do we do now?” Hannah asks the group as they all look at each other.</p><p>Jess shrugged, “Guess we get to know each other better,” she grabbed Rocco’s hand, “Come on babes, let’s chat,” and walked off towards the day beds.</p><p>Marisol turns to him, smiling brightly at him “We should go chat too I guess.”</p><p>He smiled back at her and looped his arm through hers “Aye, let’s go, love.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess had sat there listening to Rocco drone on about some bullshit story to do with a hotdog stand and a puppy, or maybe a mountain and a lion. Who knew? She pretended to be interested while she looked around the Villa. All of the couples had separated off and were chatting. Noah and Hope were on sun loungers just below her and she could see they were inching closer and closer. Just kiss already, she thought to herself. Hannah and Gary were sitting on the edge of the pool, Gary looked just as bored as she was and Hannah was chatting away, waving her arms around as she spoke. Ibrahim and Lottie were sitting on lawn, they were laughing and Ibrahim had his hand in her palm while she traced lines across it with her fingers. They actually looked cute. Bobby and Marisol were on the beanbags, Bobby was talking wildly with his hands and Marisol was howling with laughter, she could hear it from here. Maybe she was wrong about that couple.</p><p>Jess tuned back into Rocco, just as he was saying, “I think we’ll be a great couple; I can already feel our auras connecting. What do you think?”</p><p>Jess weighed up her options and said, “Listen, I didn’t really come here for anything serious.”</p><p>He looked confused “What did you come here for?”</p><p>“I dunno, but are you seriously looking for love?”</p><p>He looked out at the view before them, thinking about his answer carefully, “Yeah… I mean, I’ve been in love before but… it’s never worked out. I just want something… I dunno, beautiful you know,” he looked at her with this vulnerable look in his eyes and her heart melted a bit, “I want a rainbow fish and I want it to be magical. I’m worried I’ll never find it.”</p><p>She reached over and grabbed his hand, “I get it,” she smiled warmly at him before continuing, “Look, I’m probably not your rainbow fish, but I kinda like you and I think we could be great friends and allies in here.”</p><p>“Allies? What, you want to form an alliance and start voting people off?”</p><p>Jess laughed far too loudly and some of the other couples looked over, “No! Jesus Rocco. I just mean that I can see that you’ve got a good heart. I want to help you.” He looked at her, still confused, “I want to help you find love. In here. And while we’re at it, we’ll just go with flow and have fun together.”</p><p>He looked at her playfully “Fun huh?”</p><p>She picked a pillow off the bed and smacked him with it “Not that kind of fun!”</p><p>He laughed and took the pillow off her, “Ok ok, none of that fun, I get it,” he paused and looked at her thoughtfully, “I think you might find love here you know.”</p><p>“I don’t want love.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because it hurts.”</p><p>Rocco nodded and looked into the distance again “It sure does...”</p><p>They sat in silence, thinking about love and the hurt it caused both of them in the past. Well, she assumed that's what he was thinking about. Jess was trying to think about anything <em>but</em> the past.</p><p>Rocco eventually said, “So, what do we tell the others?”</p><p>“We’re just going with the flow.”</p><p>“Are there rules? Like, can we just hook up with other people?”</p><p>She thought about it, “Personally, I would prefer if we talked about it first, I don’t want to be blind-sided you know? If I know, I can defend you”</p><p>He nodded “I agree with that, I don’t want to find out you kissed someone from the boys to be fair”</p><p>“So total honesty. That’s the one rule.”</p><p>She held out her pinky finger to swear on it.</p><p>“Total honesty,” he said as he grabbed her pinky with his. He let go and smiled, raising his eyebrow at her, “And making out with each other a little?”</p><p>She studied him carefully, “I’ll allow it.”</p><p><em>What? Could be fun</em>.</p><p>He looked at her mischievously then leaned over and whispered, “But what if you fall madly in love with me?”</p><p>Jess burst out laughing again and this time Rocco joined in. Soon they were just laughing at each other, forgetting what had even started it off. She had tears in her eyes by the time they’d finally stopped, and they sat looking at each other with goofy smiles on their faces.</p><p>“I like you, Rocco.”</p><p>“I like you too, Jess.”</p><p>Just then she got a text to say she was needed in the Beach Hut. She got up, saluting Rocco as she went and yelled, “Don’t get into too much trouble without me babes”</p><p>“I probably will,” he called out to her.</p><p>Jess got comfy in the chair and waited for the questions.</p><p><strong>What do you think of Rocco?</strong> Easy. “I really like Rocco, he’s chill but I think he’s misunderstood. We’re going to get along great; I’m looking forward to it.”</p><p><strong>Is there anyone else you’d rather be coupled up with?</strong> Instantly Jess imagined Bobby, they’d probably have just as much fun in a friendship couple as her and Rocco. She smiled as she answered, “No one I’d rather, but I wouldn’t say no to being coupled with Bobby, he’d be a right laugh!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby walked to the kitchen to refill his water bottle. He was already unsure of his couple with Marisol. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a lovely girl, it was just that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to move past friends into something more. It was something that he’d always struggled with, and he was starting to think that none of these girls would be any different. Sure, he was physically attracted to some of the girls, but he really didn’t want to get into another friends-with-benefits relationship, especially on a TV show where the ‘benefits’ would be sorely limited anyway.</p><p>Bobby had his fair share of girlfriends and girls he dated, but none of it ever amounted to much. Well, more than great sex. He thought he’d been in love a couple of times, but looking back on it, he wasn’t sure if he loved them romantically, or loved them just as a friend and the romantic stuff was just a bonus. Eventually his girlfriends would tire of his cavalier nature, and the relationships always just fizzled out. He never once tried to save them. One of his exes had told him that the reason they broke up was because he let her go. Since then, he hadn’t really gotten into anything serious. He was a hit with the girls in Glasgow, and even though his ma constantly begged him to settle down, he just never felt more for any of them.</p><p>He didn’t really expect it to be too different here. His best mate, Big Jonno, had dared him one night to apply for the stupid show, so he had, partly thinking it’d be a laugh and partly thinking they would never let someone like him on here. Both him and Jonno were shocked when he got the call, they’d laughed about it for fucking ages. Then Jonno had said to him, <em>“Mate, you go with your heart open. You never know what could happen, and even if nothing ever does, it would be a laugh watching you try to pick up girls on TV”</em>. He’d decided two things before he came on the show. One, he would get to know everyone and actually try to form a real connection, and two, he would do his damnedest to relax and have fun with it.</p><p>He felt like that’s what he was doing right now, as he tried to push his thoughts of just being friends with Marisol out of his head. You never know, she might be the one, he just had to stop his head from getting in the way.</p><p>He stood at the kitchen island, looking out over the Villa at the people he would be spending the next wee while with. Jess and Rocco were closest to him and they were busy laughing and rolling around on the day beds. He smiled to himself as he watched them. From first impressions he hadn’t thought he’d ever see Rocco laughing that loudly, or really having that much fun at all. Maybe Jess brought it out in him? They had stopped laughing now and Bobby watched as they sat, smiling at each other like idiots.</p><p>He watched as Jess to headed towards the Beach Hut and he laughed as he overheard her tell Rocco not to get in too much trouble. They had cute banter. Rocco had gotten up and was heading over to the kitchen. Bobby nodded to him as he arrived, and he smiled back.</p><p>“Alright Bobby?” Rocco walked to the pantry, grabbing out some chips and started eating them.</p><p>“Yeah man, all good.”</p><p>“How’s things with you and Marisol?” He offered Bobby some chips and he grabbed a few.</p><p>“Alright I guess,” he nodded towards the Beach Hut “Yer and Jess getting along well then?”</p><p>Rocco smiled at him, “Yeah, I like her a lot. She’s great.”</p><p>Bobby was surprised by the omission, didn’t they meet an hour ago, how could he already like her? “Bit fast innit?”</p><p>“What do you mean? She’s fit, she’s funny, she’s really sweet. If you were coupled up with her, you’d like her a lot too.”</p><p>He didn’t doubt it, but he shrugged instead of responding.</p><p>“At the very least, she’s hot as <em>fuck</em>, you can’t deny you want her,” Rocco beamed at him.</p><p><em>Y</em> <em>eah... but...</em></p><p>“We’re looking fer love, nae sex. Besides, in here that’d probably end in disaster.”</p><p>Rocco frowned, “Yeah. You’re not wrong about that. Gotta have some fun though right? Plus, we’re all adults in here, just don’t fuck with the crazy ones and you’re good.”</p><p>Bobby laughed, “Watch out mate, Jess looks like she’d tear yeh a new one fer sure.”</p><p>“I’d let her too,” he winked at him and then frowned, “Actually, she’d probably break my heart first for sure.”</p><p>Bobby was surprised, “Oh shit. Yeh really like her huh?”</p><p>Rocco made a small, sad noise in this throat before he perked back up and cheerfully said, “She’s great. I’m probably not going to be her rainbow fish though.”</p><p>“How do yeh know?”</p><p>Rocco leaned in close, like he was sharing a secret, “Because she needs someone far more assertive than me. Still, it’ll be fun while it lasts.” He winked and sauntered off towards where Bobby had left Marisol on the beanbags.</p><p>Bobby leaned on the counter, thinking about what Rocco had said. He came in here to have a serious go a love, not just to bang his way through the Villa. While it would be nice to start a fling here, maybe he should put sex aside. Make a point of not hooking up with a girl unless he actually had feelings. Think with his head, not his dick for once. Aside from it possibly helping him find a match, it would also mean he was involved with the least amount of drama possible. He’d watched a few seasons to prepare for coming in here. He knew how fucked this place got.</p><p>Ugh. Why was he standing here worrying about things that hadn’t even happened yet? He was the type to just do and say what he wanted to do in the moment. He had been in the Villa for a couple of hours and now he was turning into, well, Rocco. Spouting about the future and feelings and bullshit.</p><p>He was just shaking off his worries when Jess came bouncing up to him, “Bobs!”</p><p>She reached him and leaned in close to his face, saying in a teasing tone, “Tell me all your secrets,” her eyes twinkling and he realised this was the first time he’d been this close to her. Up close she was even more stunning, especially when she had that playful look in her fucking gorgeous blue eyes. Fuck. He needed to be careful around her.</p><p>“Yeh have tae buy me dinner first Lass.”</p><p>She laughed at him and opened the fridge door, rummaging around it, “Oh!” she said and she turned around to face him, her arms loaded with veges and eggs, “How about an omelette instead?”</p><p>She grinned at him. Something about the way she was smiling at him, super excited about a god damn omelette, made him want to say yes immediately.</p><p>Instead he rolled his eyes and helped take some of the things out of her hands and put them on the bench, “Listen Lass, I’ll help yeh but I’m not telling yer any secrets.”</p><p>She folded her arms and eyed him as she leaned against the counter, a small, teasing smile pulling at her lips, “Ok, no one said I needed your help, it’s an omelette not a bloody spaceship. And why are you so secretive about your secrets hmm? What are you hiding?”</p><p>He chuckled “Nothing, just dinnae want yer to know em.”</p><p>She laughed and patted his arm gently, “I’m just preparing you for the…” she held her hands up and made her voice sound scary as she said, “Beach Hut.”</p><p>She turned around, searching the kitchen for chopping boards, knives and mixing bowls. He grabbed a pan and put it on the stove, getting it ready for her.</p><p>She opened the bacon and put it on the chopping board in front of her and he grabbed the mushrooms and did the same, slicing them as he went. He watched as Hope walked to the Beach Hut, “Do yer think they’re asking everyone the same thing?”</p><p>She shrugged, putting the bacon in the pan to pre-cook it, and moved over to start chopping the courgettes, “I guess so, they were pretty basic questions.”</p><p>“What did yer get asked?” He grabbed the bowl and started breaking the eggs in to it as he watched her concentrate on chopping, her face had a small smile like she really enjoyed it.</p><p>“What I thought about Rocco, if there was anyone else I’d rather be with. That type of thing.”</p><p>“What did yeh say?”</p><p>She turned to look at him then, narrowing her eyes at him playfully, “So you get to know <em>my</em> secrets, but I’m not allowed to know yours?” Damn. She had him there.</p><p>He laughed and moved to add all the veges to the pan with the bacon, stirring occasionally while she whisked the eggs.</p><p>“Fine. I’ll tell yer mine, if yeh tell me yers.”</p><p>She eyed him suspiciously and held her hand out to shake his. He took her hand and they both said, “Deal.”</p><p>She put the bowl down and leaned against the counter, watching him cook. He looked over and she smiled at him. It looked like she was about to start laughing, like she had the funniest joke lined up, “I said I like Rocco <em>and</em>… that I wouldn’t mind being in a couple with you.”</p><p>“What?” he choked out.</p><p>She laughed at his reaction, and then shrugged, “We’d make a boss friendship couple, no one would keep up!” <em>Friendship</em> couple. Right. Got it. Cool.</p><p>He grinned at her, “Well, I like Marisol and I wouldn’t mind being in a couple with yeh.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him and handed him another bowl to put the veges in, “You stole my answer and you know it.”</p><p>He shrugged, “Does nae make it less true.”</p><p>They made the omelettes, each taking turns making one and declaring themselves better at it than the other. When they were done, they took their plates to the other side of the counter and sat down in a bar stool next to each other, eating in comfortable silence.</p><p>Eventually Bobby turned to Jess and asked, “So do yer like cooking?”</p><p>She smiled to her plate, “Yeah, I dunno, I find it soothing you know?”</p><p>“Aye, I feel the same about baking.”</p><p>She looked over at him, “What? You bake?!” she said excitedly.</p><p>“Yeah, what’s the big deal?”</p><p>She smacked him on the arm playfully and yelled, “Bobby! You should have led with that! If I had known I would have gotten cupcakes out of the deal, I would have coupled up with you!”</p><p>He chuckled at her, “I’ll probably make yer cupcakes anyway.”</p><p>
  <em>Wait, why are you promising that you idiot?</em>
</p><p>She grinned, “I’ll hold you to that.”</p><p>They smiled at each other and went back to eating.</p><p>Suddenly, she looked at him, “What’s your last name?”</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p>She giggled, “When I yelled before I wanted to say your full name, but I don’t know it”</p><p>“Ahh, McKenzie. Yeh?”</p><p>“Miller.”</p><p>“Nice to meet yeh, Jess Miller.”</p><p>“Nice to meet <em>you</em>, Bobby McKenzie.”</p><p>He grinned at her and she smiled back at him, eyes shining.</p><p>Just then, he got a text to go to the Beach Hut; it was his turn. Jess smiled and told him she’d be happy to clean up, so he got up. As he did, she grabbed his arm and he looked down at her smiling face, “Good luck,” she winked and let him go, moving to clean up the mess they’d made.</p><p>Once he was in the Beach Hut, he felt a little more nervous than he thought he’d be. He sat on the large chair, waiting for the questions.</p><p><strong>What do you think of Marisol?</strong> Go for neutral. “Marisol seems like a really cool person. I can’t wait to get to know her more.”</p><p><strong>What do you think of Jess?</strong> Bobby was a little shocked by this question, maybe they were asking about Jess because she’d mentioned him in her interview? It was a bit weird, but he smiled to himself as he thought about her, “Jess seems like an amazing person. I like her and I think we’re going to get on great!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Jess was lying on the sun loungers, contemplating having a nap when across the yard she heard Hope yell out, “I’ve got a text!”</p><p>Most of the Islanders rushed over but Jess was just strolling over, not feeling that enthusiastic at that moment.</p><p>Bobby ran up behind her and put an arm around her shoulders, dragging her with him to hurry her up, “Come on, yeh lazy shit,” he laughed.</p><p>She stuck her leg out to trip him over and it would have worked perfectly if Bobby hadn’t had his arm around her shoulders and dragged her down with him. <em>Damn it</em>. They lay in a tangled mess, laughing hysterically on the ground while Hope walked over and glared down at them.</p><p>“Could you stop messing around?” she growled at them.</p><p>Jess rolled onto her stomach to go get up but before she did she leaned next to Bobby’s ear and murmured, “Yes, mum,” which caused him to start laughing again and she soon joined in too, both given up on trying to get up.</p><p>Hope threw her arms in the air and scoffed, “Whatever, join us at the firepit, we’re playing truth or dare.”</p><p>Jess finally got control of herself and got up, reaching down to help Bobby to his feet too. They sauntered over to the firepit where everyone was already waiting, sitting around in their couples. As she walked past, Marisol gave her a glare and Jess mouthed “Sorry” to her. Oops, she felt bad that she’d pissed Marisol off. But only a little bit.</p><p>She sat down next to Rocco, leaving space for Bobby to sit on the other side, between her and Marisol.</p><p>Hope waited until they’d both sat and said, “Right, if the children are done playing, it’s time for an adult game.”</p><p>Jess leaned closer to Bobby and whispered, “Pretty sure only kids play truth or dare,” apparently, she hadn’t said it quietly enough and most of the Islanders giggled while Hope glared at her.</p><p>Jess caught eyes with Lottie who made a face at Hope, and she tried not to laugh again, covering her mouth with her hands. Fuck.</p><p>“Anyway. The rules are simple. There are cards here that we use, and once you’ve had a turn you pick the next person and read the card for them,” Hope pointed to the cards in the middle, like they all couldn’t see what she was talking about, and said, “I’ll go first and I choose Dare.”</p><p>Hope picked up a card, her face fell as she read it out, “Lick the ear of an Islander that isn’t your partner.”</p><p>She looked around the group and everyone avoided eye contact with her. “Ugh,” she moaned, stalking over to Gary and licking his ear messily while he grinned, clearly unfazed.</p><p>Bobby leaned over to her, “Weird seeing Mum &amp; Dad like that huh?” he whispered and they both started laughing into their hands.</p><p>Hope turned to her impatiently, “Jess, you’re up. Truth or Dare?”</p><p>“Truth.”</p><p>Hope picked up a card then looked at her with a smirk, “Oh, this should be good babes. Do you believe in soulmates?”</p><p>Jess already knew the answer, “Yes, in a way.”</p><p>“What? You’re not even here looking for love!” Hannah screeched at her, and all the boys turned to look at Jess, shock written on their faces.</p><p>
  <em>Ugh, great. </em>
</p><p>“Thanks Hannah,” she said pointedly at her.</p><p>Hannah just smirked at her.</p><p>To the rest of the Islanders she said, “Look, I lost a bet and applied for the show. I was always, and have always, been open and honest about not wanting to find love and they wanted me on anyway. Rude, if you asked me.” Bobby sniggered next to her.</p><p>“As for soulmates, I believe in souls and I believe that in order to fall in love with someone, your souls have to connect. That doesn’t mean that you’re destined to be together, or that there’s only one person out there for you. It just means that you have to connect on a deeper level. Your soul is the part of you that guides your morals and defines who you are and how you treat others, if you aren’t with someone who doesn’t hold the same values, it’s… hard.”</p><p>Everyone went silent as they thought about what she’d said.</p><p>“Ugh, you sound like Rocco,” Gary rolled his eyes at her.</p><p>“Well good, I coupled up with him didn’t I?” she smiled back at him.</p><p>“I agree with Jess.” Everyone turned and looked at Bobby and he shrugged.</p><p>“Me too,” agreed Noah quietly, “There is actually some scientific studies done on it, I can’t remember exactly but I’d love to talk to you about it Jess.” He smiled at her and she smiled back, ignoring Hope’s glare.</p><p>“Oh! Fun fact!” Jess said as she bounced up, she was always excited to tell people fun facts that she has learnt over the years, and this one was one of her favourites, despite not wanting love for herself, “It’s been proven that if you look into the eyes of the person you love, your heart beats sync up.”</p><p>“Oh my god!” Hannah exclaimed, excitedly clapping her hands together.</p><p>“Yeah, both of your hearts will change their rhythms to match the others. It’s fucking adorable,” She smiled around the group, “Oh, and if you aren’t in love and you stare at someone, your hearts do the opposite, as in they beat <em>exactly</em> out of sync.”</p><p>“Wow, that’s really cool Jess,” Noah said, his eyes piercing hers. She couldn’t exactly pin the expression on his face down though, maybe admiration? Maybe surprise?</p><p>“So, if yeh think yer in love, all yeh gotta do is strap them in an ECG?”</p><p>Jess giggled, “You’re an idiot Bobs.”</p><p>
  <em>A cute idiot, but still an idiot.</em>
</p><p>He grinned at her, “Maybe I just cracked the code,” tapping his forehead.</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him “Just for that, you’re up next.”</p><p>“Dare,” he said confidently and without hesitation.</p><p>She got up and grabbed a card from the pile, giggling as she looked at him, “Suck the toes of any Islander.” His eyes were laughing as he looked around at the Islanders, contemplating his choice.</p><p>“Ew! That’s so gross!” Hannah squealed.</p><p>“I’ll definitely pick yeh then!” Bobby started to stalk towards Hannah as she ran away. All the Islanders started laughing, and Jess was wiping tears out of her eyes, not noticing that Bobby had changed direction and was kneeling in front of her. She snapped to look at him when he grabbed her foot and lifted it up to his face.</p><p>“What are you doing?” She looked into his eyes as they glinted mischievously. He unclipped the tie on her shoe and was pulling it off her foot “No, no, no, no no!” She tried to squirm her foot away from him, but he had a tight grip around her ankle. He was surprising strong.</p><p>“Don’t you dare Bobby!” she yelled, grabbing onto his forehead to keep his head away from her foot.</p><p>Bobby started laughing loudly at her discomfort and then he had her toe in his mouth. Jess stopped fighting, looking into his eyes as he sucked her toe, her hand still on his forehead. His eyes had gone dark and Jess felt like he was staring into her soul with the intensity of his gaze. This was officially the weirdest thing that had ever happened to her, but also, as she felt Bobby’s tongue flick over her toe, it kind of made a tingle go down her body.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck off, no, absolutely not, I am NOT enjoying this.</em>
</p><p>Bobby scrapped his teeth along her toe as he pulled it out of his mouth and then sat there grinning at her. And she sat there staring at him in shock, while all the Islanders laughed their faces off.</p><p>Gary yell out, “He fucking loved it!” He slapped Bobby on the back and pulled him to his feet, breaking their eye contact, “I knew you were weird mate, but this takes the cake!”</p><p>“Ha! I dinnae enjoy it as much as Jess,” he smirked at her.</p><p>Jess frowned and grabbed her shoe, looking down and pretending to be busy putting it back on. Mostly because she wanted to hide the blush that was forming on her cheeks. She <em>had</em> enjoyed it, embarrassingly enough, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the only reason she did was because of the way Bobby had looked at her while he did it. She briefly wondered what would happen if Rocco looked at her like that, would she be able to get on board with him if he did?</p><p>The game had already moved on, Bobby choosing Hannah and laughing at her spouting off some BS about true love or whatever, she wasn’t paying attention. Eventually Bobby came back to sit down next to her as Ibrahim and Noah argued about why Noah was so scared of Grasshoppers. Bobby leant close to her, whispering in her ear, “I’m sorry, dinnae mean to make yeh uncomfortable.”</p><p>She looked at him, his face full of concern, and smiled, “You didn’t, we’re all good.”</p><p>Just then Noah picked Rocco, he stood next to her and said, “Dare.”</p><p>Noah grabbed the card and smirked at him, “Kiss the Islander you fancy the most.”</p><p>Rocco turned and looked her straight in the eyes, “Don’t even have to think about this one,” he held his hand out so she could stand up and she grabbed it, jumping to her feet.</p><p>He put his arms around her waist, and lightly tugged her against him. She put her arms around his neck and brought his face down to hers but pulled back slightly, brushing her lips over his lightly. Part of her wanted this kiss to be over and done with but the bigger part of her couldn’t stop herself from pulling out all her best moves. He made a little annoyed sound in his throat and she smiled to herself, running her fingernails down his jaw and neck, then back as she ran her tongue along his lower lip. He let out a soft groan, pulling her body closer to his and she let him kiss her. It was soft at first, but he quickly tried to put his tongue in her mouth. She hated when guys did that, but she decided to let him, and he moaned again when she touched her tongue to his. He was not a great kisser, but better than she had expected. She didn’t really feel any attraction or passion, but she enjoyed herself and pushed herself closer against him. He clearly was enjoying this, she could feel things starting to heat up in his swim trunks, so she slowly ended the kiss and pulled away, smiling up at him as she did.</p><p>All the Islanders were cheering as they sat back down. Rocco still had one arm around her and pulled her close, whispering in her ear, “That was amazing.”</p><p>“What a show!” Gary yelled out, and Jess winked, despite regretting her decision to let it go further than a peck. On national television. Oops. <em>Oh well.</em></p><p>Rocco smiled and went back to playing the game while Jess sat back and watched, not really paying attention anymore, trying to figure out her feelings towards this man she had to sleep with later tonight. Answer: nothing.</p><p>She was so lost in thought she jumped when she heard her name.</p><p>“Jess! Aren’t you going to say something?!” Hope yelling at her snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see her glaring at her.</p><p>“Sorry, about what?” she asked.</p><p>Hope threw her hands in the air, clearly annoyed with her, “Rocco was just hitting on Hannah, right in front of us all!”</p><p>Jess looked at Rocco, who stood there looking sheepish.</p><p>Hope continued her rant, directing it towards Rocco, practically screaming at him while the other Islanders looked on, “You shouldn’t be trying to get in someone else’s pants when you had your tongue down your partners throat five minutes ago it’s so disrespectful to Jess, she probably -”</p><p>“Jesus Hope, calm down ok?” Jess cut her off as she stood up, palms out in a sign of peace, “I don’t mind if he flirts with other people, honestly, I’ve known him, what, <em>four hours,</em>” Hope looked at her incredulously and Jess rolled her eyes at her, “Plus, I’d be the world’s biggest hypocrite right?” She heard Marisol and Bobby laughing under their breath.</p><p>Jess turned to Rocco, reaching her hand out to signal him to join her. He took her hand gratefully and she looked at the Islanders as they sat back down, “Let’s just keep playing yeah? Our relationship is no one’s business but ours.”</p><p>Marisol jumped up, “Who’s next?” and she smiled at her, glad that they could just let it go.</p><p>Gary was up next and he had to give a lap dance to an Islander who was not his partner. He laughed as he walked over to Jess and she caught Hannah glaring at her. Gary’s dance was the absolute worst, and she spent the entire time laughing. At first, he was a bit pissed but eventually he started laughing too and exaggerating his bad moves even more. The Islanders were all taking jabs at the show and everyone seemed in a much better mood. Thank fuck. Jess was starting to wonder if she’d always have to put fires out around here.</p><p>Gary chose Marisol, who chose truth and told them all about how she had dated girls, but it was hard because she was nervous around them. The boys were all shocked that a girl could be as nervous around girls as they were and a few of the girls said they’d hooked up with girls before but wouldn’t date them.</p><p>Marisol pouted and said, “So I’m the only one then?”</p><p>“I have dated girls before, but I have a very specific type when it comes to women, less so for men,” Jess said.</p><p>It was true, she didn’t often though because women tended to want a serious relationship, rather than the friends-with-benefits deal she could offer them. Even so, she had briefly dated two women who were both career-focused and didn’t want to be tied down. Perfect arrangement.</p><p>“Oh?” Marisol hummed, “What’s your type?”</p><p>Jess smirked at her, “Guess.”</p><p>Marisol looked at her, a small smile on her face, and pondered before answering, “Ok, well I think you like to have a joke and laugh, but you’re also very well put-together and take pride in your appearance,” Jess snorted at that and Marisol raised her eyebrow, “I think you like more chill but strong girls.”</p><p>Jess smiled and shook her head and Marisol frowned, “What then?”</p><p>Jess stood up, took a step towards her and looked into her eyes smiling, “First, I definitely do not care about what I look like, but I can see why people automatically assume that about me,” she took another step towards Marisol, who swallowed and looked a little scared, “Second, the first thing I said to you today was that I thought you were sexy. I like girls who are intelligent, career driven and emotionally mature.”</p><p>She smiled at Marisol, and she gulped. All the Islanders had gone silent, probably hoping they were going to start making out any moment. Marisol quietly said, “Are you saying I’m your type?”</p><p>Jess tapped her nose mysteriously and winked before skipping back to take her seat between Rocco and Bobby, ignoring the looks everyone was giving her. Truth was, Marisol <em>was</em> typically her type, but Jess <em>wasn’t</em> interested in pursuing her. Or anyone else for that matter. The point was moot.</p><p>“Well Rocco and Bobby, you might need to couple up soon and let the girls have the fun,” Gary chuckled at them.</p><p>“Wait, they can’t really do that can they?” Hannah wondered worriedly.</p><p>Marisol cleared her throat, “Ok, I choose Ibrahim.”</p><p>Ibrahim chose dare, because he wasn’t brave enough to choose truth, and as the Islanders got back to the game Bobby slid closer to her and whispered, “Getting all the action today aren’t yeh?”</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes, “You’re only saying that because you’re hoping I’ll let you watch me and Marisol later.”</p><p>He laughed at her, “Aye, if that’s an option, I’ll take it.”</p><p>“It’s not.”</p><p>“Nae, yer’d not be able to handle her.”</p><p>Jess looked over at him, finding him smirking, “Can <em>you</em> handle her Bobs?”</p><p>He hesitated before saying, “Of course,” he frowned as he looked over at Marisol.</p><p>Jess put her hand on his, where it rested on his knee. He looked up at her and she smiled warmly, “I think we’re going to be good friends Bobby, so you can always talk to me if you need advice or whatever,” he smiled at her and she added, “I’ll even promise not to say ‘I told you so’ <em>toooo</em> much. Only once or twice.”</p><p>He laughed at her, “Yer a pain in the ass.”</p><p>She just winked at him and turned back to the game just in time for Hope to announce that’s the last of the cards.</p><p>Great, she needed a break.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Jess pulled out her phone and read to the group, “Islanders, please get ready for the welcome party tonight. Dress to impress because there will be a special guest joining you #gamechanger #bombshell”</p><p>“We are getting new Islanders?” Ibrahim asked her.</p><p>“I guess so!” Jess said cheerfully, while most of the others looked miserable. She got up, ready to go have a shower, and looked around, rolling her eyes, “Cheer up guys, I’m excited. Plus, party equals tequila!”</p><p>She turned and walked back to the Villa, doing little dance moves every so often as she went.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After her long hot shower, Jess entered the dressing room to absolute chaos. Hope was using the hairdryer, it looked like she was trying to dry out her dress. Hannah and Lottie were screaming at each other over the noise about something she really didn’t feel like trying to figure out and Marisol was in the corner, next to a pile of clothes tossed on the floor while she was lifting each one up, shaking her head and pulling even more out of her closet.</p><p>Jess sighed to herself. She already missed her own space. Walking over to her closet, she grabbed the first thing she could, grateful that her sister had chosen all her outfits for her; just grab and go.</p><p>She opened the dressing area and changed into whatever dress she’d grabbed. She paused to look in the mirror. It was a tightly fitting cream coloured dress that came down mid-calf at the back and up to mid-thigh in a V shape at the front. There was fringe that hung off the spaghetti straps on her shoulders and at the bottom. Jess did a little walk in the mirror, admiring the way the dress clung tight to her legs but the fringe bounced around. It was sparkly and feminine, and she actually loved it… all except the fact that the dress plunged at the front, ensuring her boobs were once again on show for the world. Great. Around the hanger was a necklace, so she put that on, put on a pair of cream coloured wedges that thankfully were not too high and headed back into the mayhem that was the main room.</p><p>The noise was still going on, and she really didn’t want to be here any longer than needed so she flipped her hair over her face, added dry shampoo and flipped it back. She added a nude lip and headed for the door.</p><p>Jess put her hand on the handle and could literally smell the freedom, when Hope turned off the hairdryer and yelled, “Jess, what are you doing?!”</p><p>Everyone stopped and looked at her as she turned around, “Um, going downstairs?”</p><p>“Well, don’t you think you should wait for us?” Hannah scoffed.</p><p>No, she didn’t think she should at all, “Why?”</p><p>“Oh my god! I can not <em>believe</em> you!” Hannah was literally screaming at her and Jess was getting more and more impatient with her dramatics.</p><p>She opened her mouth to speak but Lottie beat her to it, “Hey, let’s just relax. Jess can go out if she wants but maybe we should have a quick chat about this new Islander?”</p><p>
  <em>Ugh. Fiiinne.</em>
</p><p>Hannah scoffed and sulked in her chair, while Hope stood up, “It better not be a girl. If she even looks at Noah, we’re going to have a problem!”</p><p>Jess caught eyes with Marisol who looked like she was holding back a laugh and she had to look away really quickly, Hope was facing her and she really didn’t want to get caught laughing about this, it’d just start more drama.</p><p>Hannah perked up just then, holding her hands to her chest and swooning, “What if it’s my prince charming?” Ugh.</p><p>“I thought Gary was your prince charming?” Jess said, earning a glare from Hannah.</p><p>“Obviously,” she snapped, “but a girl can dream.”</p><p>Lottie piped up, “Well, I doubt any girl will be able to come between me and Ibrahim anyway, so I’m not worried.” Across the room, Marisol raised an eyebrow. <em>Yeah, I agree... what?</em></p><p>“Well. If it is a girl. I’m not talking to her,” Hannah huffed again.</p><p>“Me either,” Hope leaned over and high-fived Hannah, “She is only coming here with the intention to steal one of our guys, and I will NOT let that happen!”</p><p>“Agreed!” Hannah nodded vigorously.</p><p>“What about you Jess?” Hope was smiling her fake smile and Jess had to physically stop herself from rolling her eyes.</p><p>She shrugged, “I don’t really mind. I mean, we are on Love Island, this is obviously going to happen. Why worry about it?” All the girls looked at her like she was crazy, even Marisol. “You girls really need to chill out a bit. It’s day one, you can’t seriously be that attached already, and we all have to live together so why don’t we all just play <em>nice!</em>”</p><p>She spun around and left the room, hearing Hannah say <em>‘wait, does she not think we’re nice?’</em> on the way out. Pretty much, Hannah.</p><p>She walked down the stairs and headed out of the Villa onto the lawn, still giggling to herself as she went. She probably shouldn’t have done that but good god, everyone needed to take a chill pill and calm down. This was hell already.</p><p>Jess looked up as she heard one of the boys wolf whistle across the lawn. They were all dressed up and standing around, clearly waiting for the girls.</p><p>She shook her head, “Let’s not wolf whistle anymore, yeah?”</p><p>All the boys looked sheepish as they agreed, well except for Bobby, who clearly didn’t give a fuck what she said. She felt a little bad for snapping at them; they didn’t deserve it. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to be in a better mood.</p><p>As she walked closer, she got a good look at them all. Honestly, all these boys were gorgeous. Noah and Ibrahim both looked dapper in their shirts and pants, and Jess was distracted momentarily by the way Ibrahim’s tight shirt clung to his abs. Bobby was wearing a brightly coloured shirt and had a few buttons undone at the top, like he’d gotten bored halfway through. To be fair, it showed off his chest. Yup, super hot. Gary now had on glasses, which made him look smart and sexy, Jess had to stop herself from biting her lip as she looked at him. Rocco had his shirt completely unbuttoned and beads hanging around his neck – really playing up the hippie vibe.</p><p>“Wow, you look absolutely stunning Jess!” Rocco said as he put an arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The boys behind him nodded in agreement.</p><p>“You all look amazing, feels a little weird not being practically naked though” Jess grinned at the boys and they all chucked a little.</p><p>Rocco looked back at the Villa, “Where are the other girls?”</p><p>“Still getting ready,” she waved dismissively at him, as she eyed the drinks table they were standing around. She spotted some tequila and decided she was going to kick off the night with shots. Suddenly she was glad they were having a party tonight, otherwise it would just be wine for them. Technically they weren’t allowed to get drunk, but drinking did make everyone a little more… prone to drama. So as long as they weren’t slurring, or, if they were, it made good TV, the producers wouldn’t pull you up on it.</p><p>“What do you mean they’re getting ready?” Rocco stared at her incredulously.</p><p>She just shrugged, as she stepped up to the table, stepping out of Rocco’s embrace.</p><p>Bobby put his arm around Rocco, “Dinnae listen to him Lass, he hates being late if yer can believe it.”</p><p>She shrugged again and pulled out some shot glasses from the bottom shelf, raising her eyebrows at the boys, they all nodded. She laid them out and poured tequila in each one and handed them out. She wasn’t normally a big drinker, but she was tired and overwhelmed and she needed something to drink asap. Before the girls came down and started again.</p><p>“What, no lemon or salt?” Gary asked</p><p>“Don’t be a pussy Gaz,” Jess smiled as she said it and he smiled back and shrugged.</p><p>“To Day One,” she said, lifting her glass to cheers.</p><p>“Day One!” They all shouted back, clinked their shots and tipped them back.</p><p>Jess smiled as she swallowed. <em>Yeeeeessss, this is what I needed</em>.</p><p>Just then, the Villa doors opened, and all the girls came out. Jess stepped back a bit to give them room to join the group. She caught Lottie’s eye and she was smiling at her, but not in her usual menacing way, it felt friendly. She smiled back as the girls joined the group, Hannah immediately draping herself over Gary and Hope doing the same to Noah.</p><p>“Oh, started already huh Jess? Sounds about right!” Hope all but growled.</p><p>Jess winked at her, making Hope glare more.</p><p>“Oooo… you know what would be fun Gaaarrryyy?” Hannah cooed, looking up at him.</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“If you boys pour us some bubbly and came and brought it to us,” she batted her eyelashes up at him.</p><p>“Wha’ the ladies want, they’ll get!” Bobby announced as he picked up a bottle and started to pop the cork.</p><p>“Yay!” Hannah giggled and started walking to the beanbags, “Come on girls!”</p><p>All the girls headed off to join, except Jess. It took her all of maybe two seconds to decide there was no way in hell she was going over there. The wine was over here. She stayed put.</p><p>Bobby looked up, “Dinnae want to go with the girls?”</p><p>She didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Nae, I geddit Lass, I <em>do</em> have great chat,” he winked and smirked at her.</p><p>She walked over to Bobby, “Bold of you to assume I stayed here to talk to <em>you!</em>” She reached over and grabbed the bottle from his hand, lifting the bottle to her lips, taking a big swig and raising her eyebrow at him as she did. The cold bubbles felt like heaven.</p><p>“Not my fault you boys are hogging the booze,” she said louder to the group and got a couple of sniggers from them and a <em>“Hey-o”</em> from Gary.</p><p>Turns out the boys were just as easy to impress as the girls.</p><p>Bobby laughed at her, grabbing another bottle from the table and continuing to fill the glasses.</p><p>She was thinking about going to join Gary, he seemed to be up for a laugh at the moment, but stopped when she heard Ibrahim mutter under his breath, a few steps away from her, “Classy… not.”</p><p>
  <em>Seriously? What's your fucking problem?</em>
</p><p>Jess caught Bobby’s eye as he frowned and went to open his mouth, but she shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. She didn’t need this random Scotsman defending her honour or whatever he thought he was going to do. She looked down and noticed a white marker on the bottom shelf, presumably to label their wine glasses with.</p><p>Grabbing it she held it up and let out a, “Yes!”</p><p>As all the boys turned to see what she was on about, she made eye contact with Ibrahim and, without dropping his gaze, wrote her name on the bottle slowly and deliberately before twisting it and showing it to everyone, waving her hand like she was presenting a prize on a game show. She even threw in a fake smile as she did, really playing the part. Noah and Gary cheered, Rocco yelled, <em>“That’s my girl,”</em> Bobby chuckled, and Ibrahim glared at her, but he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips. Jess loved every second of it. Smirking at him, she took another sip from the bottle, already she was in a much better mood.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby was still smiling to himself as he poured the drinks for the girls. A little lost in his own thoughts, he’d tuned out to the conversation happening behind him until he heard Jess laughing loudly. He turned around with a glass in his hand and joined in.</p><p>“Gaz, I have yet to see <em>any</em> quality banter from you!” Jess was standing pretty close to Gary and smacked him playfully on the shoulder as she continued giggling. Bobby downed his drink in one go, quickly refilling his glass. Gary was looking at her like she was going to be his next meal.</p><p>“Just you wait little lady, I got bantz up the wahzoo!”</p><p>“More like a hundred Dad jokes,” she sniggered into her bottle.</p><p>He shoved her playfully, “Oi!”</p><p>Jess looked up and noticed Bobby, “What about you Bobs? Tell us how you woo the ladies!”</p><p>He pointed to himself and wiggled his hips, “Pfft, the ladies woo me.”</p><p>“Doubt that mate,” Gary quipped.</p><p>“Aye, cuz the only time <em>yer</em> can pick up a girl is if she’s drunk and yer the last guy at the pub.”</p><p>Jess laughed loudly and held her hand out for a high-five. Bobby clapped his hand against hers, as Gary glared at them both and crossed his arms over his chest.</p><p>She turned and patted Gary’s arm reassuringly, “Lighten up Gaz. Let’s take the drinks to the girls,” and walked off towards where the girls were parked up on the beanbags.</p><p>Bobby grabbed some drinks as he went, following her over and watched as she plopped herself on the nearest one and settled in.</p><p>Hannah looked up as he started to pass the glasses around and whined, “Why does she get a whole bottle?” Trying to pull a pouty face. <em>Yeah, that’s not gonna work on me love</em>.</p><p>“Because I helped,” Jess grinned at her.</p><p>“Piss off yeh did,” Bobby said as he motioned for her to move over so he could sit next to her on the beanbag.</p><p>“What’s this then?” She pointed to her name on the bottle and moved over. He sat down hard on the beanbag, causing her to giggle as she was jostled.</p><p>“Aye, how did yer survive Lass, hard work that must have been!” As soon as he’d sat down, he realised it might have been a mistake. Not because Gary was now staring daggers at him – he enjoyed that part. It was because she was now pressed up against his side and all he could think about for a second was how warm and soft she was. He ignored it. He didn’t need that shit. She wasn’t looking for anything.</p><p>Hannah sneered over her glass at Jess, looking at Rocco as she put on a fake sickly-sweet voice, “Don’t Jess and Bobby look like the cutest couple! Awwww!” resentment pouring out of every word she spoke.</p><p>Bobby wondered what Jess had done to piss the redhead off - the tension coming off her was intense. On the flip side, Jess looked like she didn’t give a single fuck in the world. He loved that she seemed to never be affected by any of the drama. In fact, it was like she kind of enjoyed playing into whatever it was people were saying about her. He really liked her ‘devil may care’ attitude.</p><p>Rocco shrugged, clearly not caring either and Jess smiled at Bobby, batting her eyelashes as she purred, “Think we’re going to win that award, love muffin?” Her cheeks had an adorable pink flush to them from the bubbly.</p><p>“Nae way! Yer’d have to start being a LOT nicer to me!”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hannah yelled “Got a text!”</p><p>“Jesus Hannah, we’re all right here,” Gary grumbled at her.</p><p>
  <em>Yikes. Not going well there then.</em>
</p><p>Hannah ignored him, reading out, “Please gather by the firepit to meet the new Islander #supriseending,” she squeaked, and everyone started to get up.</p><p>Somehow Jess managed to get up straight away, bottle still in hand, not a drop spilled. <em>Ok, THAT was impressive</em>. She smiled down at him as he slipped down into the empty space and held out her hand to help him up.</p><p>He grabbed it and as soon as he’d pulled himself to his feet she stood on her tiptoes, moved her face next to his ear, sending goosebumps across his neck, and whispered, “Never,” then spun around and skipped off towards the firepit. Fuck. Shit. Why was that so hot?</p><p>He laughed to mask his awkwardness and followed her over. All the Islanders stood around the firepit, waiting for the Islander to make their entrance. Everyone looked worried, no one knew who was coming in. Well, everyone except Jess, who was cheerfully drinking from her bottle and chatting away to Marisol. He admired the way she truly didn’t seem bothered about this whole thing.</p><p>All of a sudden, the Islanders heard heels clicking across the lawn and looked over to see the most gorgeous girl walking from the main Villa doors. Bobby was a little stunned, her hair was a gorgeous dark red, her skin was the colour of coffee and her eyes were dark and sultry. Ok ok, he was pretending to be stunned by that, what he was really admiring was the way her slinky, silver dress was cut down the front, right to her belly button, and her perfect breasts were on show. And they were fucking <em>perfect</em>.</p><p>One of the boys whistled quietly and Ibrahim let out a small, “Jesus Christ.”</p><p>Bobby laughed and said, “I knae mate,” clapping him on the shoulder, “Let’s go say hi!” And he ran off, all the boys following clumsily behind to rush to meet the new girl.</p><p>As they neared, he could see she was a little scared and nervous, probably not expecting five guys to rush towards her like this. He slowed down and gave her a comforting smile “Sorry love, we jus’ got a bit excited” he reached her and held his hand out, “I’m Bobby,” before he went around the group and named the boys.</p><p>Just as he was finishing introductions Jess moved in front of him and gave the new girl a hug. The girl looked down at her in surprise but hugged her back, “Hi! I’m Jess, I’m so excited to meet you!” she said, smiling up at her.</p><p>“Hi! I’m Priya!” she smiled brightly at her, “Wow you are so stunning, I can’t believe I’m really here!”</p><p>Jess waved her hand dismissively, “Pfft, got nothing on you babes!”</p><p>Marisol came up and introduced herself to Priya shyly. Bobby smirked, thinking maybe Marisol might also be a little attracted to Priya... and her assets.</p><p>Lottie came over at that moment, “Wow. You’re gorgeous. Must be really scary coming in here when everyone is already coupled up, but you look like the kind of girl who wouldn’t care about stealing another girls man.”</p><p>“Throwing shade already Loz?” Jess asked, her tone amused.</p><p>“I don’t throw shade, I shed light,” Lottie snapped angrily back at her. Shit.</p><p>Before he could step in and stop the catfight that was about to go down, Jess giggled then looked at Priya and said, “Don’t worry about Lottie, she’s <em>probably</em> really sweet when you get to know her. I haven’t gotten to know her <em>that</em> well yet either.”</p><p>Lottie laughed and Jess joined in, both smirking at each other as they did. Bobby and Gary exchanged looks. Wait, do they hate each other or not?</p><p>“Ok so, I know you’ve only just met them, but based off first impressions, what do ya think of our boys?” Jess gestured to the boys, and they either shifted around nervously, or tried to flex under Priya’s gaze. She looked around, studying all of them carefully.</p><p>“Hmmm, based on looks alone... I’d say Bobby and Rocco, but I don’t really know anything about anyone yet.”</p><p>Bobby looked at Rocco and they high fived.</p><p>“Oh, why don’t I help you out? I can give you all the goss!”</p><p>“Gae on Jess, this should be good,” Bobby laughed as the boys now all looked really nervous, frightened of what the feisty brunette actually thought of them all.</p><p>Jess looked over at Bobby and said, “Well Bobby thinks he’s really funny, sometimes he is but it’s mostly on accident. Oh, and he has a foot fetish so if you’re into that sort of thing…” Jess trailed off as Priya looked at him curiously.</p><p>All the boys were chuckling under their breaths, but Bobby just grinned directly at Priya, not really bothered by Jess making fun of him.</p><p>“Oh really?” she asked with a small flirty smile.</p><p>“Nae, but for yeh? I’d give it a go,” he winked at her and she blushed and bit her lip at him. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as he stared at her.</p><p>
  <em>Yup, she was stunning.</em>
</p><p>Jess looked between the two of them and smiled, “Great work Bobs, you’re on the shortlist!” she put her hand up, pretending to whisper a secret to Priya, but she didn’t actually whisper, “He’s on mine too.” She winked at Bobby and he rolled his eyes at her, knowing she was joking. She was ridiculous.</p><p>“I don’t know how I feel about this shortlist,” Marisol said, crossing her arms.</p><p>“Oh yeah, sorry Marisol,” she smiled apologetically at her and then turned to point at Gary, who grinned at Priya, “Gary loves to be called Gaz and he can’t dance for shit”</p><p>“Oi. Neither of those things are true,” Gary grunted.</p><p>Priya smiled sweetly at him, “So I can’t call you Gaz?” she batted her eyelashes at him.</p><p>He blushed and looked down, “Nah, you can I guess, you’re really pretty so…”</p><p>Lottie and Jess laughed loudly, before Jess turned to Priya, “He’s such a sweetheart, one of my favourites so far. Still can’t dance though.”</p><p>Gary looked at Jess with a curious expression on his face, he probably didn’t realise that she actually liked him. Bobby had already figured out that Jess liked him though and was laughing to himself as he watched Gary try to process this new information. He was starting to like Gary, if only because he was a bit of a laugh.</p><p>Jess looked quizzically at Ibrahim for a moment before saying, “Rahim is a bit of a tough one to figure out actually, but I bet if anyone can get him out of his shell, it’s you.”</p><p>Priya looked at the lad and asked, “Do you think so?”</p><p>He stammered under her gaze, “Yeah… I actually… Yeah,” and looked at the ground.</p><p>Priya giggled and Jess whispered under her breath, “Told you. He’s fucking adorable.”</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything.</p><p>Bobby studied Jess as she talked glowingly about the boys. He hadn’t realised it till now but she seemed like a real mother hen type. This new person had come into the Villa and she had taken on the role of looking after her AND defending the boys, despite not really knowing much about any of them.</p><p>Jess gestured to Noah, “This is Noah, he’s the strong silent type, which is really hot. We haven’t chatted much, but I get the feeling he’s super intelligent, which is also really hot. So…” she pretended to be doing maths on her fingers, “…taking into account his looks… he’s a triple threat!” Priya nodded in agreement and eyed Noah.</p><p>Noah was blushing under Jess’s assessment of him and cleared his throat to speak, “Um, I actually really like Hope,” Priya’s face fell and Bobby could tell Jess was trying not to roll her eyes, “But I would still like to get to know you better.”</p><p>Priya looked up at him, blushing, “Really?”</p><p>“Yeah, I jumped to the wrong conclusions about Jess, and I was wrong. So I won’t make any judgements on you before I know you,” he smiled at her sweetly.</p><p>Jess frowned at him but decided to let it go. Bobby also wondered what ‘conclusions’ Noah had come to that he had dismissed her for. He thought Jess was a pretty easy read; she hardly held back her thoughts from anyone.</p><p>“And last, but by no means least, this is Rocco,” Rocco gave a small bow and took Priya’s hand, “He’s super chill and really easy to get along with, so if that’s your vibe, Rocco is your guy! Plus, you already know you like the package right?” Jess giggled and nudged Priya.</p><p>Priya looked down at her in shock, “Aren’t you two coupled up?”</p><p>Jess shrugged, looking at Rocco, who smiled at her, “Yeah, but I’ve only known him for a couple of hours, I’m not really a jealous person anyway so I don’t mind. If you guys get along better, he’s all yours.”</p><p>Priya frowned, “Oh, are you two not getting along?”</p><p>“What? No, we’re getting along great right babes?” Jess smiled at Rocco as he came over and put his arm around her, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>“Jess is fucking amazing. We’ve already talked about it, neither of us minds if we get to know other people, we’re still solid.”</p><p>The couple stood smiling at each other for a couple of seconds before Jess turned back to Priya, “Rocco is actually pretty cool, I like him. Get to know him if you want, I don’t care.” Priya looked a little disbelievingly at her, so she smiled, “At. All.”</p><p>Lottie chimed in, “Yeah, it took me a beat to figure it out, but I actually believe Jess is as chill as she says she is. She probably wouldn’t care if you went and kissed him right now.”</p><p>“I mean, I might care a little about <em>that,</em>” Jess said laughingly, as though she wasn't sure if she would actually care.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m not down for that either, just so you know,” Rocco piped in.</p><p>Jess laughed, putting her hand on his chest and whispering, “I don’t think Priya is either babes so you’re good.”</p><p>Marisol smiled at them, “You two are adorable.”</p><p>Priya looked over at Hannah and Hope, who were still standing at the firepit, her brow furrowed, “Um, what are they still doing over there, did they not want to meet me?”</p><p>Beside him, Bobby heard Jess <em>‘tut’</em> and watched her give Rocco a small squeeze before walking over to the drinks cart, popping open a few bottles and grabbing the pen to start writing on them.</p><p>“Oh, I think they’re just intimidated by you,” Lottie said, resting a hand on Priya’s arm.</p><p>Priya looked confused, “Why?”</p><p>Bobby looked at the gorgeous girl in front of him and said, “Prollay cuz yeh fucking beautiful, love.”</p><p>He winked at her as she blushed, then looked back to the girls and yelled out, “Oi! Hope, Hannah, gat yer asses owa her!”</p><p>“Jesus, your accent gets worse when you yell,” Jess rolled her eyes at him as she walked back up to the group, juggling four bottles of wine. She slid close to Priya and handed her one of the bottles that had ‘Priya’ on it.</p><p>“Trust me, you’re going to need this,” Jess smiled up at Priya, before reaching over and giving Marisol and Lottie one each too.</p><p>Without question Priya slugged back a couple of gulps and smiled appreciatively at Jess, who whispered, “And he’s right you know,” nodding at Bobby, “Fucking. Beautiful.”</p><p>Lottie laughed, “You know you’re crap at whispering right?”</p><p>Jess winked at her.</p><p>Hope and Hannah finally walked over, and Hope leaned over to air kiss Priya, “Oh so sorry hun, we were just busy,” She looked down at the bottle in her hand and then up at Jess and glared at her, “But I can see that Jess has already managed to be a bad influence on you.”</p><p>“Be <em>nice</em> Hope,” Jess’s tone had a touch of a warning in it but when Bobby looked at her she had her hand over her mouth and her shoulders were shaking, like she was holding back a laugh. Hope tried to hold it in too but couldn’t and let out a small giggle, which made Jess actually laugh. Soon all the girls except Priya, who looked confused, and Hannah, who scowled at them all, were laughing.</p><p>“The girls have gone off the deep end,” Rocco quipped, and the boys started laughing too.</p><p>Once they’d all managed to calm down, Jess looped her arm in Priya’s and said, “Right, let’s go get toasted and get to know this gorgeous woman a little better!” She walked off back towards the firepit, her and Priya’s heads together, talking and giggling as they went.</p><p>Bobby wondered what it was about Jess that made everyone listen to her when she spoke. She never demanded attention, preferring a flippant tone to a ‘shut up and listen tone’, but everyone listened to her regardless and she was even able to lighten the mood.</p><p>He followed to the firepit and sat down with Marisol, opposite Priya, who sat between Ibrahim and Jess. They all chatted well into the night, laughing and teasing each other. At one-point Bobby got out some impressions and had them all in fits of laughter.</p><p>As the night wore on, some of the couples got a little more touchy feely, and some broke off to find quiet spots in the Villa. Marisol had spun sideways on the seat so her legs dangled across his lap and her head rested on his shoulder while they talked. He ran his hands up and down her calves as she told him about her work and studies, and he tried to concentrate, but fuck, it was boring.</p><p>Eventually he went inside to get ready for bed. He got changed and walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Jess was the only one in there, standing with her hip leaning against the sink as she brushed her teeth. She smiled around her toothbrush and gave him an ‘up nod’.</p><p>She had also changed and was wearing cotton pjs. They should have been cute and wholesome, not sexy, but on her? They were fucking flames. It was a black and white polka dot two piece; the shorts were loose and sat high on her waist but were really short and the top was a loose cropped singlet with spaghetti straps. He could see a sliver of her creamy skin between the two pieces of clothing, and although he watched her prance around in a bikini all day, he still found himself near drooling at the sight. To top it all off, she wasn’t wearing a bra. Those pjs are going to haunt his dreams tonight for sure. He was kind of dreading going out and seeing the rest of the girls too, he didn’t need six sexy pjs on his mind.</p><p>“Jess,” he greeted her and stood at the sink next to hers, putting down his toiletry bag. She bent over to spit out her toothpaste and Bobby tried really hard not to look at her ass as she did.</p><p>“Bobs,” she replied as she walked past.</p><p>“Hey Lass?” he asked as she reached the door. She turned around and looked at him, “How’d yer manage to wrap everyone around yer finger?”</p><p>She giggled and tapped the side of her nose, “A magician never reveals her secrets,” and waltzed out the door.</p><p>
  <em>Hey wait, isn't that my line?</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Admit it, you perv!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jess is a grumpy shit (god I hate to love her) and they all get muddy in the challenge. Noah chats about some random shit (who cares). Jess &amp; Bobby get drunk... that might be a theme actually. Do they have a rehab on the island? Someone get their number asap.</p><p>Warning... if you have past trauma about sex injuries on a motorbike (Lucas, I'm talking to you) don't read.</p><p>Lol. As if Lucas would ever be caught reading a fanfic.</p><p>Jk, I see you lurking @sugardaddy</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess woke up the next morning and was very confused about where she was for a second. This wasn’t her room. Wait, who’s arm is around her waist? She looked down and spotted a mass of red curly hair and the day before came flooding back to her. At the exact same time her memories returned, so too did all the alcohol she’d drunk last night in the form of a splitting headache.</p><p>“Ugh,” she groaned out loud, moving Rocco’s arm off her so she could sit up.</p><p>She looked around, it was still dark inside, but she could see the morning light through the curtains and figured it must be early. All the Islanders were still asleep, but there was no way she was going back to sleep with her head like this.</p><p>She got up and tip toed upstairs where she drank some water, took some pain killers and got changed into a bikini – a cute white two piece that had a lemon pattern all over it. The bottoms were high cut and the top had two long thick strips of material to hold it together that she wrapped first low down her back and then tied it in a pretty bow that sat across her stomach. She went back down stairs and as soon as she was out of the Villa door, she ran full pelt into the pool, twisting in the air as she jumped and bringing her knees to her chest so she could make as big a splash as possible.</p><p>The water was refreshingly cold, and she gasped as she reached the surface. Then proceeded to do laps, letting her mind relax and stop thinking while she concentrated on moving her arms and legs faster and faster in the water.</p><p>She’d lost track of time when she felt a bump on her head and stopped to find Bobby standing on the side of the pool, laughing as he threw blow-up beach balls at her.</p><p>“Fuck <em>off</em> Bobby!” she said as she grabbed the ball closest to her and chucked it back at him, it didn’t go anywhere near him, which made him laugh harder. She was not in the mood for his shit, she was still slightly hungover, and she hadn’t had a coffee yet; she was extra grumpy.</p><p>“Wha’ was <em>that</em> Lass?” laughing at her awful throw.</p><p>“Oh shut up. What do you want?”</p><p>Bobby grinned at her, despite her snarky tone. <em>God, he's annoying.</em> “We gotta text, Priya is picking someone tae couple up with tonight.”</p><p>“Cool story.”</p><p>Bobby smirked, “Annndddd… catering is ‘bout to close Breakfast.”</p><p>Ok, she cared about that. She nodded and swam to the edge and climbed out of the pool.</p><p>“Yeh owe me for that info,” he said as he passed her a towel.</p><p>Jess glared at him, “No Bobby. You did yourself a favour, if I had missed coffee and breakfast, I would have been a horrible bitch all day!” and she snatched the towel and stalked off towards where they would all be served breakfast - a small dining hall in the back of the Villa, where they were asked not to talk while they ate so there was no chance of drama happening off camera.</p><p>“More than yeh already are?!” Bobby yelled out after her and she flipped him off over her head, still walking away, and heard him roaring with laughter behind her. Whatever, she needed coffee asap.</p><p>Most of the Islanders had already finished breakfast so she sat peacefully, already feeling 100x better after her first sip of coffee.</p><p>She considered getting changed and maybe drying her hair, but she decided against it when she looked in the mirror, she still looked hot and who cares really?</p><p>She walked back out onto the lawn, putting on her sunglasses as she did, and saw most of the boys hanging out with Priya and Lottie by the pool. As she walked over, Rocco saw her and patted the space next to him on the lounger, so she curled up next to him and he put his arm around her waist.</p><p>“Feeling better Lass?” Bobby smirked at her. She flipped him off in response, making him chuckle.</p><p>“What, were you not feeling well?” Rocco looked at her concerned.</p><p>She shrugged, “Just not the nicest person before coffee.”</p><p>“Think the word is ‘bitch’,” Bobby mumbled playfully under his breath and she glared at him, but remembered she was wearing sunnies so he couldn’t see. <em>Damn it.</em></p><p>“Noted,” Rocco said.</p><p>Priya smiled at Jess, “I was just about to start interrogating the boys, want to help?”</p><p>Jess laughed, “Hmmm… should we play good cop, bad cop?”</p><p>Priya giggled, “Sounds sexy.”</p><p>“Babes, I’ll 100% be making it sexy.”</p><p>All the boys laughed, and Jess bounced up and stood up to face them, “Right, first question, what do you think of my outfit?”</p><p>She did a sexy wiggle with her hips and slowly spun in a circle so all the boys could check her out. Her hair was still wet, so she was channelling Baywatch vibes, flipping it around her shoulders. Jess watched as the boy’s eyes practically bugged out of their faces at the opportunity to openly gawk at her. Did she already mention that she loved an ego boost?</p><p>“Shameless,” Lottie said, laughing at her display.</p><p>Ibrahim coughed, “Um, it’s really pretty.”</p><p>Gary clapped him on the back, “Pretty? You look stunning Jess, as always.”</p><p>“Aye, she does,” Bobby agreed flippantly.</p><p>Noah blushed and turned his head away as he nodded in agreement.</p><p>Rocco lay back, a small smile on his lips as he watched her peacocking for all the boys, “I fucking love you, Jess!”</p><p>Jess put her hand on her heart, “Awwww babes, that’s the first I love you!” she joked and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. While the boys rolled their eyes at them and scoffed.</p><p>Priya laughed, smiling brightly at her, “I think you might be the fittest girl here.”</p><p>Jess waved her hand dismissively, “Nah babes, not even close.”</p><p>Lottie piped up, “If Jess is done showing off,” she glared playfully at her, “Have you spoken to any of the boys Priya? Any ideas who you might pick?”</p><p>Jess watched as Priya automatically darted her eyes towards Noah. <em>Interesting</em>.</p><p>Priya shrugged and said, “I’ve talked to Bobby; he seems really cool. And um... maybe Ibrahim,” she shot a worried look at Lottie, who frowned but didn’t say anything. She sighed, “It’s really hard you know? I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”</p><p>Jess reached over and put her arm around her waist, “I get it babes. If you’re really worried, Rocco is probably the safe option.”</p><p>“Hey, stop trying to trade me in!” Rocco said, but he was laughing.</p><p>“Safe isn’t always the right choice though, especially when it comes to love. You’ve got to take risks to get what you want, and at the end of the day you have to make the right choice for you. Sometimes it will work out, sometimes not. But when it does work, it can be amazing and will totally be worth whatever you went through to get it,” Jess smiled at Priya who looked at her gratefully.</p><p>Jess turned around and noticed some of the group staring at her in shock, “What?”</p><p>“It’s just, that was really… insightful,” Noah coughed out and everyone nodded, “I dunno, you said yesterday that you didn’t want love so… and I didn’t think that you…” he shrugged, not finishing his sentence.</p><p>Jess frowned as she remembered his comment from yesterday about misjudging her. She put two and two together and asked, “Were more than a pretty face with great banter?”</p><p>Noah blushed.</p><p>“I get that a lot.”</p><p>Priya looked down at her, “What do you mean?”</p><p>Jess didn’t really want to get into how much it truly bugged her, so she decided to just make a joke instead, “I work in IT, so obviously everyone is smarter than the pretty girl right? I don’t mind though; I can whoop all their asses at pool. And between us,” she leaned in, whispering loudly, “I am the absolute <em>worst</em> winner!”</p><p>Everyone laughed and Jess was glad she didn’t have to talk about this anymore.</p><p>“Are you a sore loser too?” Gary asked.</p><p>“Nah, I don’t mind losing, I can accept if someone is better than me. I fucking <em>LOVE</em> to win though,” Jess smirked at him.</p><p>“Aye, competitive then?” Bobby grinned.</p><p>Jess tapped her nose. They'll soon see just how much.</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes, “We should go grab the girls and have a chat, leave Priya to mingle with the boys.”</p><p>“That is a great idea Loz!” Lottie winced at the nickname but left it alone, probably already cottoning on that Jess wasn’t going to stop using it, “Let’s go grab them!” she said as she skipped off towards the Villa. Before she closed the door behind her, she turned to Priya and gave her the thumbs up. <em>Get it girl.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby had a problem. Priya had said that she might pick him, and he really needed her not to. He liked talking with Priya, but he also liked Marisol as a friend and he couldn’t leave her vulnerable. As soon as Jess and Lottie had left, he had asked for a chat and now they sat on the daybeds.</p><p>“So what did you want to talk about?” Priya purred at him, running one of her fingers over his hand where it rested next to her. <em>Shit, concentrate Bobby.</em> Priya was giving him bedroom eyes and he was seriously considering kissing her but, he couldn’t do that to Marisol. Plus, there was something about a promise he made to himself yesterday. While she was looking at him like that though… well, it was really, really, <em>really</em> hard to resist.</p><p>“Ahh, yeah” he cleared his throat, “Um, I dinnae want yer to pick me.”</p><p>She sat up straighter, staring at him, “What? I thought we were getting along?”</p><p>“I can’t do that to Marisol” he shook his head sadly, “She might go home and I don’t want it to be because of meh...”</p><p>“But what about you? I mean, so, like, why would you… Did you hear Jess? You have to take a risk to find love!”</p><p>As if on cue, they heard Jess’s laugh from the rooftop, Bobby turned to look to see if he could see her, but his view was blocked, “Yeah, but so do yeh, and I dinnae think it will work out for us like that, I don’t want to lead yeh on.”</p><p>“Will it work out like that for you and Marisol?”</p><p>Bobby sighed, “Maybe, but probably not”</p><p>“Is there anyone you’re interested in?”</p><p>“Nah, but yeh never know, she could show up tomorrow,” Bobby chuckled and they both heard Jess laughing again, and he turned to see if the girls had come down yet. They hadn’t.</p><p>Priya raised her eyebrow at him, “Never know I guess.”</p><p>“What about yeh? I noticed yeh looking at Noah. Yeh should talk to him.”</p><p>Priya sighed, “Yeah… but Hope…”</p><p>“Yer gotta take risks.”</p><p>Priya smiled at him, “You’re right. Thanks Bobby, I’ll go grab him now, while Jess has the girls entertained.”</p><p>Bobby nodded and absentmindedly turned to look at the Villa, not sure why he was so distracted. He wondered if he should find Marisol, he hadn’t talked to her much today.</p><p>Priya stood up, adjusting her suit and looking off towards Noah. She was about to leave when she turned back to him and said, “You know Bobby, I think there might be someone in here you like,” he looked at her questioningly and she tilted her head and smiled at him, “I just don’t think you know it yet,” she winked at him and walked off to find Noah.</p><p>“Yeh wrong about that,” he called after her.</p><p>He lay back, thinking about each of the girls in the Villa and decided she was definitely wrong. No one in particular stood out to him, but he agreed it was hard to tell, they all were stunning, and it was hard to think with his head, not his dick, where the girls were concerned. Eventually he drifted off to sleep on the daybed, dismissing what Priya had said.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>About an hour later, he woke up to someone violently shaking him awake, “Fu’k owa yeh barard!” he groaned.</p><p>He opened his eyes to see Jess laughing down at him, throwing her head back as she did. He slowly started to sit up, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. Jess eventually stopped laughing and looked at him, amusement written all over her face, “What was that?! Literally could not understand a single thing you just said!”</p><p>“Whadda yeh wan?” he grumbled at her.</p><p>“Wow! Bobs is grumpy when he’s woken up huh?” Jess was still looking at him, her face split with a massive grin. He noticed she was doing a little dance on the spot, looking super excited about something.</p><p>He coughed, trying to clear his throat so his accent wasn’t as strong, “What are yeh so excited about Lass?”</p><p>She giggled and threw her hands in the air, “It’s a mud challenge! With secrets!”</p><p>He grinned at her, “Oh aye, that sounds like fun!”</p><p>He was perking up a bit, he was excited to find out some juicy gossip AND he loved to get a bit messy, it sounded like it should be a good laugh and he was here for it.</p><p>“Yus!” she pumped her fist in the air “I knew you’d be up for it! Everyone else is being lame” she put on a mocking voice “<em>I don’t want to get mud in my hair</em>” she rolled her eyes and grinned stupidly at him “One guess who said that!”</p><p>Bobby laughed loudly and jumped up from the bed, “Nae, I’m in Lass!” she reached out for a high-five, which he gladly gave her, “Marisol?”</p><p>She laughed, “Ibrahim.”</p><p>“No wae!”</p><p>She nodded then suddenly yelled, “Race ya!” and ran off towards the challenge area at the back of the Villa.</p><p>He laughed and followed her over. There was a massive sign at the back of the playing area with the words ‘Coming Clean’ written in bright neon letters. On each side there was a shallow paddling pool, each filled about a foot high. The left side pool was filled with mud and had a massive slide leading down into it, the right-side pool was filled with soapy water and sponges. In the middle was a table that had two stacks of envelopes on it, one marked girls, one marked boys.</p><p>All the Islanders were standing around; the boys were smiling away but the girls all looked less than excited. Jess came to a stop in front of them and called out, “Come on guys! This is going to be fun!” while doing a little dance.</p><p>Hannah frowned, “You know we’re reading secrets, right?”</p><p>Jess shrugged, “I got nothing to hide.”</p><p>“You don’t exactly know what they’ll be,” Hope pointed out.</p><p>“So?” Gary said, earning a glare from Hope.</p><p>“I love your energy Jess,” Noah said thoughtfully, also earning a glare from Hope. Wow, she was no fun today at all.</p><p>Lottie smiled as she looked at her phone, “<em>The producers have been asking your friends and family to reveal your secrets. You will each take turns picking an envelope off the table. If you choose to open an envelope and read a secret, you’ll have to slide into the mud. If you resist the temptation and keep it sealed, you’ll be washed clean by the person whose secret remains inside. #comingclean #muddywaters #secretsrevealled</em>”</p><p>Marisol frowned, “I do not want anyone washing me down, thanks.”</p><p>Jess laughed and ignored her, “Who’s first?”</p><p>“I’ll go!” Bobby said, running up to the table and turning the envelope over. He looked directly at Lottie waving the card at her, “Let’s see what you’re hiding!”</p><p>As he tore the envelope open, Jess tried to excitedly look over his shoulder to read it but he moved away from her so she couldn’t, “<em>Titanic, Little Women, and The Secret Garden make Lottie cry every time.</em>”</p><p>Bobby looked up at Lottie, “What?”</p><p>She crossed her arms in front of her, “Yeah, well”</p><p>“When Rose let’s go though…” Jess added and Lottie turned to her, nodding her head and pulling a sad face.</p><p>“And Jack… then she… oh my gosh,” Lottie stammered in place, while all the Islanders looked on in shock as the scariest looking girl in the group admitted to crying over a movie, and looked like she was about to cry just thinking about it.</p><p>Marisol rolls her eyes, “I mean they both could have fit -”</p><p>“Too soon!” both Jess and Lottie interrupted her at the same time and then started laughing.</p><p>“Well, Bobby you’ve got to go in the mud now,” Hope said. As if he cared.</p><p>Bobby ran up the slide and immediately slid down, as fast as possible, splashing a few of the Islanders nearby.</p><p>“Ew!” Hannah squealed, so he ran up to her, shaking his head like a dog while she tried to hide behind Gary, and everyone laughed hysterically.</p><p>“I’ll go!” Jess yelled out, running over, and picking up an envelope. He watched as she danced over to Gary and waved it in his face, “Should I open it Gaz?”</p><p>Gary smiled warmly at her, “Go for it”</p><p>Jess ripped the envelope open and turned to read it out to everyone, “<em>It’s no secret that Gary loves his nan, but you know what he won’t tell you? The time his mates switched her name in his phone with a girl he’d been chatting ton on Tinder.</em>” She burst out laughing and while Gary blushed, though he soon joined in.</p><p>“Don’t you think that’s a bit too far though?” Ibrahim asked.</p><p>“I was pretty embarrassed but it’s just what your mates do right?” Gary said, still laughing, “It’s pretty funny now I look back on it.”</p><p>“I would hate it if my friends did that,” Ibrahim sulked.</p><p>“Me too!” Hannah piped up.</p><p>Rocco smiled, “Babe, now you’ve got to get in the mud! It’ll be cleansing for your soul” he winked at Jess.</p><p>“No problem!” Jess ran up and slid down with no hesitation, clearly not worried about her outfit being ruined, even though it was mostly white. She ran up and hugged Rocco, who laughed and tried to run away from her.</p><p>“I’ve been covered in worse to be fair,” she said through laughter.</p><p>“Oh really? Like what?” Marisol asked, a small smile on her face.</p><p>Jess tapped her nose, “Maybe you’ll find out today?” Bobby fucking hoped so. <em>No, wait, stop thinking like that.</em></p><p>Noah decided to go next and read out Priya’s secret, “<em>When Priya heard that her bestie’s boyfriend was playing away, she swapped his conditioner for hair removal cream.</em>”</p><p>“Wow, that’s fierce!” Hope said.</p><p>Most of the Islanders agreed he’d probably deserved it, except for Jess who just gave a small smile and looked away. Bobby wondered if maybe that was the reason, she wasn’t looking for love. Had she been hurt before?</p><p>Next up was Marisol and she opened the packet with Bobby’s name on it, no hesitation “<em>Bobby knows exactly how to charm the ladies. Once he baked a cake for a girl he was seeing in the shape of ‘his image’.</em>”</p><p>Fuck. He could feel his face going red.</p><p>All the Islanders howled with laughter before peppering him with questions about what kind of cake it was. Gary said, “Didn’t think you could make a cake that small!” and everyone cracked up laughing again.</p><p>Jess, still giggling with the rest of them, asked, “Did it work?</p><p>“Nae, didn’t see her again.”</p><p>“Her loss,” she shrugged, “For the record, I’d have swallowed… the cake,” she joked with a wink. Naturally, that set everyone off all over again.</p><p>The game continued on for a bit, revealing some secrets about Ibrahim taking a girl on a $500 date, Noah going to a festival with a pile of books, Marisol sleeping through a thunderstorm and Hannah having a funeral for an M&amp;M.</p><p>After a while it was Bobby’s turn again, so he jumped up and grabbed the top one, which had Jess’s name on it. He grinned at her, “What do yeh think Lass? Should I open it?”</p><p>Jess smiled at him, “If you want to, do it,” Bobby hesitated, if he hadn’t seen the look on Jess’s face before he might have done it, but now he decided he didn’t want any secrets to be revealed about her.</p><p>He sighed, “I think I’ll just leave it,” and placed it in the unopened pile.</p><p>Everyone stared at him.</p><p>“What, really, you?” Lottie scoffed at him.</p><p>He just shrugged in response.</p><p>Jess frowned at him for a second and then laughed, “You just want me to wash you down! Admit it, you perv!”</p><p>Bobby laughed and ran to the soapy water, “Aye, Lass, make it sexy,” he winked at her while he moved his hips suggestively.</p><p>Jess giggled and walked over to the water and picked up two sponges. She eyed him mischievously and bit her lip, swinging her hips as she walked slowly over to him. Yeah, she was covered in mud, but holy shit she was still sexy as fuck. Bobby didn’t expect her to actually take him up on his advice and now she was coming towards him, with that look in her eye… he was frozen to the spot. She got close to him, almost touching, face inches from his and smiled at him. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat. Fuck. She leaned her face closer and his eyes involuntarily, without permission from his brain, glanced down at her lips and back up to her eyes. Shit.</p><p>She noticed and let out a huff of laughter and then suddenly his face was hit with a sponge, leaving water and soap splashing all over him and into his mouth. He yelped and stepped back from her with surprise, and all the Islanders started cracking up laughing.</p><p>“Yeh little shit!” he managed to get out, right before a sponge landed on his shoulder. She immediately started picking up the sponges at her feet and hurling them at him. He ran out of the pool and grabbed onto the first person he could see, Gary, and moved behind him, using him as a human shield. Jess had chased him and was now chucking sponges at both Gary and Bobby.</p><p>Gary was yelling, “Don’t get <em>me</em> Jess!” and trying to pull Bobby out in front of him, as they wrestled to not be hit by flying sponges.</p><p>Eventually Jess ran out of sponges and stood there laughing at him. Now she wasn’t a threat anymore, he started running full pelt towards her. She managed to get a squeak out before he grabbed her and lifted her over his shoulder. She barely had time to scream, “Bobby McKenzie, put -”, before he swung her to his chest, bent low to the ground and slid across the mud pool with her in his arms. Mud flew everywhere and the Islanders howled with laughter at them.</p><p>Jess was doing a mixture of screaming and laughing as she lay beneath him in the mud. He was laughing so hard that when he tried to stand up, his hand would slip, and he’d fall back down. Jess rolled out from under him as he floundered about and was now sitting next to him laughing.</p><p>Once they’d all calmed down, Jess reached her hands out and Rocco helped her to her feet. Bobby was able to concentrate and stood up too. He turned to face Jess, ready to give her a smirk but as he turned, he got hit with another sponge thrown at his face. He wiped his hand over his face to see her standing there smirking at him, eyes full of challenge.</p><p>He put his hands up in defeat, “Alright Lass, yeh win,” and walked over to give her a quick hug. The Islanders were well entertained, clapping and laughing at their show, and the game started to get a lot more fun. Everyone was laughing and joking around, throwing mud and sponges at each other. Until all the cards had been either discarded or opened.</p><p>“Now what?” Lottie asked.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>“Never mind.”</p><p>Ibrahim looked down at his phone, “Today two Islanders managed to resist opening any envelopes. As a reward for avoiding temptation, Gary and Lottie will now go on a lunch date in the hideaway #moretemptation.”</p><p><em>“WHAT?!”</em> Hannah spat out.</p><p>Gary and Lottie looked at each other in silence, both clearly shocked by the turn of events.</p><p>Everyone was quiet for a second before Bobby clapped Gary on the shoulder, “Man, I’m jealous, we all ‘ave to eat catering!” he smiled, trying to lighten the tension.</p><p>Jess laughed, “Yeah, hope you guys get something more than sandwiches!”</p><p>“Oh yes please! I’d be keen for a burger!” Gary said excitedly.</p><p>“So, basically you want a sandwich?” Jess quipped, making Bobby chuckle. She really just calls them as she sees them.</p><p>Hannah glared at them all, “Are you forgetting that my partner is going on a date?”</p><p>Ibrahim frowned, “Yeah, I’m not happy about this either.”</p><p>Lottie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, “It’s just lunch and some chat, it won’t change the fact that I don’t like Gary.”</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye Bobby noticed Jess was looking back and forth between Lottie and Gary, like she was trying to figure something out.</p><p>Hannah scoffed and stormed back to the Villa.</p><p>“I’m really impressed by your self-control guys; you deserve the win,” Marisol smiled at them.</p><p>“Thanks, now let’s get cleaned up,” Gary said, and everyone started walking back to the Villa.</p><p>“Still a fun game,” Jess whispered to Bobby as she passed him, skipping over to link arms with Rocco as she did.</p><p>He had to agree with her, it was tonnes of fun.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After the mud challenge, Jess had decided to just wait the showers out; everyone was busy trying to get cleaned up and she didn’t really feel like fighting the others. She was happily lying on one of the beanbags, probably getting it super dirty but she didn’t really care.</p><p>“Hi Jess, didn’t feel like fighting for the shower either?” Noah said as he sat down in the beanbag next to her.</p><p>She smiled at him, “No, not really,” she turned to look back at the sky.</p><p>He nodded and lay back in the beanbag, looking at the clouds too. They sat there in comfortable silence for a while, both of them relaxed.</p><p>“I like this,” Noah said suddenly.</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“The quiet.”</p><p>“Hmmm” Jess smiled to herself “Me too.”</p><p>“You don’t want to talk?”</p><p>Jess pulled herself up on her elbow and turned to face him, “Do you?”</p><p>Noah smiled and turned to face her too, “Yeah. I’ve been curious about you.”</p><p>“Oh, about what?”</p><p>Noah looked at her thoughtfully, blushing as he spoke, “So I didn’t step forward for you yesterday, and I kind of wanted to tell you why…”</p><p>Jess smiled, “Because you thought I was a beauty queen, who was too loud and probably stupid?” she asked in a playful tone.</p><p>Noah laughed and Jess realised it was probably the first time she’d ever heard him laugh like that. Loudly, to be specific. His eyes softened as he looked at her, “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. But I was wrong,” he smiled and playfully said, “Mostly. You <em>are</em> very loud. Obnoxious too.”</p><p>Jess giggled, “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you joke!”</p><p>“I wasn’t joking,” he winked at her as he said it.</p><p>Jess pretended to faint, “Oh my days, two in as many minutes, be still my beating heart.”</p><p>Noah chuckled quietly then looked at her seriously, “Tell me something I don’t know about you.”</p><p>Jess thought about it for a moment, “Hmmm… I’m a Girl Guide Leader.”</p><p>Noah looked surprised, “Really? Why’d you start that?”</p><p>“I just decided one day that I had spare time and it was a worthy cause. And now, I love those girls.”</p><p>“So you like kids then?”</p><p>Jess shrugged, “I guess.”</p><p>Truth was that she loved kids and had always wanted to have kids of her own. It’s just that she wanted to raise them with a partner and well, she didn’t want a partner, so she was basically screwed there. It hurt every time she thought about it. Which is why she never thought about it. Avoidance is the key to everything. Was it healthy? Meh. She didn't care.</p><p>Noah nodded, “I have a younger brother and sister. I’ve always looked after them. Took them to school, fed them, made sure they do their homework… it was a lot, but now they’re a little older, they don’t need me as much, but I still worry.”</p><p>“Do you miss them?”</p><p>Noah sighed and lay back on his beanbag, looking back at the clouds, “So much.”</p><p>Just then Hope yelled out across the lawn, “Noah, baby, shower is free!”</p><p>Noah got up and smiled at down at her, “Thanks for the chat Jess.”</p><p>She saluted him and watched him walk into the Villa.</p><p>She got up, deciding to check if there was another shower free. They had three shower cubicles in the main bathroom, and a single shower upstairs. Luckily one of the cubicles was free so she jumped in, quickly showered, and ran upstairs to get changed.</p><p>Most of the girls were pretty much cleaned and dressed in their evening wear already and were sitting around chatting when she walked in. She noticed Lottie wasn’t there, presumably already on her date, nor Priya, who was probably trying to get to know the boys before her decision tonight.</p><p>“Hi Girls,” Jess said as she walked in.</p><p>“Hey hun, was wondering where you’d gotten to?” Hope said, smiling at her.</p><p>Jess shrugged, “Thought I’d leave the showers to you guys first.”</p><p>“Sweet of you.”</p><p>“Mmmm… I’m just gonna quickly get changed,” she said as she grabbed one of the outfits in her closet.</p><p>She could hear the girls talking about their guys as she got dressed. This one was a white high wasted skirt and gold shiny top that was essentially a bikini top with long sleeves. It was pretty though, and she grabbed some gold strappy sandals to match. It felt a bit weird being so dressed up when it was still light out, but what the producers wanted, they got.</p><p>Walking back into the room she put on some tinted moisturiser, mascara and a nude lip while the girls talked around her about who has done what with their partners. From the gist of it, Bobby and Marisol haven’t done anything, Hannah and Gary have kissed twice, and Hope and Noah have made out a few times.</p><p>“What about you and Rocco?” Marisol asked her.</p><p>Jess turned around, having finished up, “Oh, not really”</p><p>“Really? But that kissed looked intense yesterday!” Hope said.</p><p>"Did it look bad?”</p><p>“Nah, it looked hot hun!” Hope winked at her.</p><p>“Oh, well yeah, still not much though.”</p><p>“Well maybe that outfit will change all that,” Marisol said, looking her up and down.</p><p>“Here’s hoping!” Jess smiled and the girls cheered. <em>Not</em>.</p><p>“Should we go down?” Hope asked.</p><p>“Lets!” Jess said, looping arms with Marisol.</p><p>They went downstairs and found Priya and the boys all milling around the kitchen.</p><p>“You all look great!” Ibrahim said.</p><p>“Thanks!” Hope said as she jumped onto the stool next to Noah, “What are you lot doing?”</p><p>Noah shrugged, “Just talking really,” Jess noticed that him and Priya exchanged a look.</p><p>Hannah gasped and said, “Oh good, they’re back,” looking across the lawn.</p><p>Jess turned to see Lottie and Gary walking back, clearly coming from their date. Both of them with neutral expressions, not giving anything away. Jess was kind of desperate to find out the gossip there. She could probably convince Gary to spill the tea.</p><p>Hannah ran up to Gary and threw her arms around him, “I missed you.”</p><p>Gary grunted, “Oh, yeah, same,” and let her go quickly.</p><p>“So how was your -”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Rocco looked at his phone and read out the message, “Islanders, please go to the firepit, it’s time for Priya to make her choice #decisiontime”</p><p>Everyone exchanged looks before heading off to the firepit. Once there, everyone sat around in their couples while Priya stood in front of them all. She got a text that prompted her to speak.</p><p>Priya looked at everyone and sighed, “So I never thought I’d be standing here, having to do this -”</p><p>“What? Make a speech?” Bobby interrupted. Jess looked over and glared at him and he poked his tongue out in response.</p><p>Priya continued, “This has been a really hard decision for me to make. When I came into the Villa, I really didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but I’ve come to realised that love is worth taking a risk for. That is what I’ve decided to do today. The person I want to couple up with is…”</p><p>She took a deep breath, “Noah.”</p><p><em>“Whaattt?!” </em>screamed Hope.</p><p>Noah looked at Hope, “Babe, calm down ok?”</p><p>“Calm down?! No fucking way am I calming down!”</p><p>“Please?” he said quietly to her.</p><p>Hope glared and Priya, “You could have fucking told me, this is bullshit, I knew you wanted what I had!”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hope’s hands shook as she took out her phone and read out, “Hope, you are now single and ready to mingle #getyourgrafton,” she released a sigh of relief, “Well, at least I’m not going home I guess,” she laughed a little. The peace lasted all of three seconds then Hope, Priya and Noah went straight back to arguing.</p><p>Rocco leaned closer to Jess and whispered, “Let’s go.” <em>Yes please.</em></p><p>Look, she got it, Hope liked Noah, but all is fair in love and war, and honestly, it’s not like they couldn’t get back together later if Noah wanted. Was she the only one who realised they were on reality TV?</p><p>He grabbed her hand and they walked over to the loungers, leaving the others at the firepit.</p><p>Rocco turned two loungers to face away from the Villa, towards the view, and flopped down on one and she sat in the other and leaned back. From here they had a perfect view of the landscape, the sky was starting to turn dusty as sunset became nearer.</p><p>“So I wanted to talk to you.”</p><p>“Hmmm?”</p><p>“I’ve been talking to Marisol a bit actually.”</p><p>Jess turned to face him, smile on her face, “And…?”</p><p>He smiled back at her, a dopey grin on his face, “I like her.”</p><p>“Really?!” Jess squealed.</p><p>“Not so loud!” Rocco said, chuckling.</p><p>“Oh babes, that’s so great.”</p><p>“Yeah… I mean, I haven’t told her and it’s still early days you know? But I want to keep getting to know her.”</p><p>Jess grinned at him, “Is this my official warning of a potential kiss?”</p><p>Rocco blushed, <em>actually blushed</em>, and rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, maybe.”</p><p>She got up and jumped onto his lounger, giving him a hug. As she pulled away, he reached up and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ears, “You are such a great person Jess.”</p><p>“Aww babes! You’ll make <em>me</em> blush!”</p><p>He laughed and she rest her head on his chest, “I don’t want anyone to know yet, and I don’t want this to change things between us.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Well, like this,” he gestured to them as they lay cuddling on the lounger, “It feels really comforting that we are close enough to cuddle like this and it not be weird. I feel like you’re a really good friend Jess.”</p><p>“I mean, we slept in the same bed, cuddling is hardly weird,” they both chuckled a little, “I think you’re a good friend too you know.”</p><p>Rocco squeezed her a little, “But also, I kind of can’t wait till I’m cuddling with someone I actually like like.”</p><p>Jess sat up and playfully slapped him, “Hey! I am a world class cuddler thank you very much!”</p><p>He smiled at her, “I’m actually going to go find her now, if you don’t mind,” he got up from the lounger.</p><p>She lay back, a hand to her chest, “Oh my gosh, you meet some new girl and you’ve already forgotten about me!”</p><p>“Never,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek, then turned to walk away.</p><p>Jess watched the landscape for a while, kind of zoning out, as the green hills turned yellow and started fading as the sun finally went down. It wasn’t exactly peaceful; she could hear the other Islanders all around the Villa. Hope, Noah and Priya were clearly still fighting about the recoupling at the firepit and Hannah was yelling at Gary in the kitchen. She hoped Rocco and Marisol had found somewhere to chat quietly.</p><p>She heard footsteps nearby and turned her head to see Bobby coming towards her, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and two shot glasses in the other.</p><p>When their eyes met he let out a massive grin, “I saw yeh over here and I thought <em>‘Yeh know what Jess needs?’”</em> he laughed and held out the whiskey towards her, making a show of it, “Booze!”</p><p>Jess laughed and dragged the other lounger so it was up against hers, the wooden edges of the loungers now pressed together to make a small flat surface for her to rest the glasses on. She looked up at Bobby with a raised eyebrow, waving at her creation like she’d just invented electricity.</p><p>“Aye, very clever Lass,” he rolled his eyes, sat down, and poured them both a shot.</p><p>They clinked glasses and downed it. The alcohol burnt her throat as it went down, but she kept a poker face, no way was she pussying out in front of the Scot.</p><p>“Where did you even get this from?” They were only allowed hard liquor during a Villa party or cocktail evening. Otherwise it was a limited supply of wine.</p><p>He tapped his nose and refilled their glasses.</p><p>She picked up hers and said, “Ok Bobs, let’s play a game.”</p><p>He raised his eyebrow at her, “What kinda game?”</p><p>“One where we get to know each other. Like truth or dare, but truth or truth.”</p><p>He laughed, “So basically just asking each other questions?”</p><p>“Shut up smartass.”</p><p>“Rude, but I'm in.”</p><p>She held her pinky out to him, “Promise to be honest,” he smiled and wrapped his pinky around hers.</p><p>She lifted her glass, clinked it against his and downed the shot again, looking Bobby directly in the eyes and concentrating on not flinching at the burn, “I’ll start you off easy Bobs, what’s your dream job?”</p><p>“Astronaut. For sure.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes and he smiled at her, but his eyes went vulnerable as he spoke, “Actually, I kind of want tae open my own bakery…” he trailed off and she got the feeling that he didn’t often talk about this.</p><p>“That’s so cool! You could call it Bobby’s Cakes,” she grinned at him, giggling.</p><p>He chuckled, “Bobby’s Sweet Breads.”</p><p>“Bobby’s Baked.”</p><p>“Bobby’s Bootylicious Bakery.”</p><p>“Baking Bobby’s Bits!” Jess winked at him and they both howled with laughter, struggling to catch their breath as they calmed down. He looked so gorgeous, the glow of the lights around them lit up his eyes and his cheeks had an adorable flush to them.</p><p>She poured them each a shot and they clinked glasses again.</p><p>“Ok Lass, my turn, and I’m nae going easy. Most embarrassing sex story?”</p><p>She tapped her chin in thought, “Ok, I once tried to get it on while on a motorcycle… in a driveway at like 3 o’clock in the morning...”</p><p>He narrowed his eyes at her, “And then?”</p><p>“And then… I accidentally pressed the throttle and it slipped forward, throwing the guy off the back and he broke his arm.”</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” Bobby cringed in shared pain.</p><p>Jess nodded and told him the rest of the story, her arms flaying about dramatically as she practically re-enacted it for him, “He screamed so loud that several of his neighbours came outside. Him, lying on the ground stark naked with his arm sticking out at this really fucked up angle,” she shivered at the memory of it, “And me, skirt hiked up around my waist, still straddling the bike, and vomiting over the side because of how gross his arm looked.”</p><p>Bobby started cracking up laughing, he had such a loud and bounding laugh that she couldn’t help but join in.</p><p>When he’d calmed down, he asked, “Did yeh ever see him again?”</p><p>She smirked at him, “Why would I? It’s not as if the sex had been any good!”</p><p>That set them off laughing again.</p><p>Jess took a few deep breaths to try stop laughing, “No, no, I did, but it didn’t last long, I think he harboured a bit of resentment towards me.”</p><p>He nodded, “Aye, that would dae it.”</p><p>They continued playing the game, both getting drunker with every question. She was surprised the producers hadn’t come to tell them off yet. They lay on their loungers, both turned to the side looking at each other, smiling and laughing, even when they were talking about serious things.</p><p>Jess told him about the time she got busted by the cops smoking pot as a teenager, kicking a boy’s ass at school because he’d made fun of a gay kid in their class, and the time her and her sister went skinny dipping and lost their bathing suits, having to walk back through a campground full of families having dinner, jumping from bush to bush to get back to their tent. Jess learnt that he had been in a punk band named Paisley Cuddle, he had been arrested for public nudity, twice, and how he had never really gotten serious with anyone in the past and struggled to form a connection that was more than friendship.</p><p>“Ok, so here’s a tough one,” Bobby looked at her like he was debating whether he actually wanted to ask it or not. He shook his head and gave her a small smile, “Have you been cheated on before?”</p><p>Jess’s smile dropped, “Why?”</p><p>Bobby shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable, “I kind of noticed in the game that you went a bit quiet… I wondered if you wanted to talk about it.”</p><p>Jess looked out at the landscape, which was now too dark to make out clearly, “Once. It broke my heart,” she said quietly.</p><p>“I’m sorry Lass.”</p><p>She smiled at him, “It was a long time ago, four years, but I guess I haven’t wanted to get serious with anyone since then. Hence my ‘no love’ policy.”</p><p>“Aye, I get that,” he reached over and took her hand. It felt warm and comforting and she smiled at him as he ran his thumb over her knuckles. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the touch, but she felt a tingle go down her spine.</p><p>They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, smiling at each other in the low light, when she felt her phone go off.</p><p>She looked down and read it, “Ugh, they want me in the Beach Hut. I’m way too drunk for this!” she pouted.</p><p>Bobby grinned, “Aye, now yeh going to spill all yeh secrets, yer way to pissed to keep em in!” he laughed.</p><p>Jess groaned and stumbled to her feet. She looked down at Bobby, a mischievous glint in her eye, “Come with me!”</p><p>“What? Lass, I don’t think -”</p><p>“Nah, screw it,” she grabbed his hand, tugging him to his feet, “Come on, it’ll be fun!”</p><p>He laughed as she dragged him up, “Ok ok, let’s go.”</p><p>They both stumbled as they walked so Bobby put his arm around her waist and she put her arm around his shoulders. They opened the door and walked inside, both flopping messily onto the large chair in the middle of the room. Jess scooted up next to Bobby and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in. In the light, she could see his eyes were glassy from the alcohol and his freckles had grown more prominent from the two days of sun. Their faces were close together and they were both smiling like idiots, giggling away. The screen came on.</p><p>
  <strong>This isn’t what we were expecting, but how do you feel about each other?</strong>
</p><p>They went back to looking at each other as they spoke, “Aye, Jess is a great girl, she’s got some pretty good chat. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s gooooooorgeous.”</p><p>Jess giggled and shook her head, “Bob’s is so much fun, I love hanging out with him. And his freckles are adoooorrrrable,” she reached over and poked one of his freckles on his cheek.</p><p>He laughed and reached up, touching his finger to her nose, “Boop.”</p><p>She frowned at him, “I’m going to get you back for that. When you least expect it.”</p><p>“Bring it on, Lass,” he quipped back and they both started laughing hysterically for some reason.</p><p>
  <em>Jesus. They were waaayy to drunk for the Beach Hut.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Swim trunks don’t hide much</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A certain physiotherapist walks in. Oh wait, is that a spolier? Whoops, lol. (Also, does anyone know if he read my last chapter summary because he's totally ghosting me right now 😭)</p><p>Then... it's a freaking kissing challenge!!!!! Damn it, um, spoiler alert?? I'll get better at not doing that, <strike>promise</strike>, eh, no I won't.</p><p>Bobby &amp; Jess plan out a really lame operation... Look, they're both idiots so we don't blame them for their dumb ideas ok.</p><p>And last - more stuff we don't care about - Lottie spills the tea.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess woke up to Rocco shaking her awake lightly, “Babe, it’s time to get up!” he said softly.</p><p>She rolled over, groaning and opening her eyes to see him smiling down at her, a coffee in one hand that he was offering her. She sat up a little bit and took the coffee from him, taking a sip. At least she didn’t feel hungover today. After their stupid visit to the Beach Hut last night, she and Bobby had gone to the kitchen and drunk a bunch of water and ate some leftover pasta from catering, trying to sober up and, <em>“protect our future-selves from feeling tae shitty,”</em> as Bobby had put it.</p><p>Rocco sat down next to her and chuckled as she drank her coffee in silence. All the boys were awake and chatting, but Jess wasn’t paying too much attention. By the time she’d drunk half the coffee she’d woken up enough to look around and notice that none of the girls were in the bedroom.</p><p>“Where are the girls?”</p><p>Gary looked over at her, “There’s a new bloke outside, all the girls have gone to get ready to meet him. Better hurry up if you want to trade up from Rocco!”</p><p>Bobby beamed at her, “Aye, word on the street is the new lad is a…” he put on a girly voice, clearly imitating something the girls had said, “<em>total hottie</em>”</p><p>All the boys laughed, but Jess just rolled her eyes, “I’m good.” <em>If the options are get up or stay here, I'm staying right here.</em></p><p>Rocco leaned over to her, smiling, “Go meet him Jess, you never know,” he winked at her.</p><p>She groaned and got up out of bed, “Fiinnne!”</p><p>“That’s the spirit, Lass!” Bobby called to her as she was walking to the door.</p><p><em>Ugh.</em> For the second morning in a row she flipped him off over her head, leaving him chuckling behind her.</p><p>As she got to the dressing room, the girls were walking out, smiling and laughing.</p><p>“Jess!” Lottie said, a smirk on her face, “We were going to wake you up, but Bobby said he’d better make you a coffee first because you were a grumpy shit in the morning.” <em>Huh, Rocco must have beaten him to it.</em></p><p>Jess shrugged, “He’s not wrong.”</p><p>“How does he know you’re grumpy in the morning?” Marisol asked, looking at her with a frown. <em>Is he not allowed to know anything about me? </em></p><p>She waved a hand dismissively, “Oh, he came and got me for breakfast yesterday and I bit his head off.”</p><p>“Really? I would have loved to see that!” Hope grinned at her, “Anyway, we’re going to go meet the new boy, hurry up and get ready!”</p><p>They all skipped off down the stairs, chatting as they went. Even Priya and Hope seemed to be getting along. Nothing like a new boy to ease tensions.</p><p>Jess took her time getting ready, she had a shower and put on a dark green bikini that had a series of straps that ran over her neck and shoulders and the bottoms had slits in the side, looking like it was held together with more crisscross straps. It looked military style and Jess decided to play up the dark tones with a bit more eyeliner than she normally wore. She flipped out her natural curls, added some lip gloss and bounced down to meet the new boy.</p><p>As she walked out of the Villa, she saw everyone crowded around the pool area, laughing and joking with the new guy. He looked up when he saw her, and Jess felt an immediate pull towards him. He was fucking <em>gorgeous</em>.</p><p>He had dark, serious eyes, dark brown hair that was styled perfectly and a face that said, ‘I’m in control’. She loved someone who took charge… especially in the bedroom. <em>Wait, no stop thinking like that, you don’t even know his name</em>. His skin was tanned and his body was absolutely amazing. Toned, but in a way that was soft. The girls weren’t wrong; <em>total hottie</em>.</p><p>He watched her as she walked down to him, his gaze running up her body and then meeting her eyes with a playful but intense stare. It made her shiver. Hope tried to get his attention, but he held his hand up to her, ignoring her as he watched Jess walked over.</p><p>Jess smirked at him, loving the attention he was giving her, and only her. Some of the Islanders had noticed him staring at something behind them and had turned to look at Jess, Hope scowling of course, but Jess ignored them too and just kept walking across the lawn.</p><p>He stepped forward, past the girls in between them and smiled down at her when she reached him. She just smiled back at him, waiting for him to say something.</p><p>“Hi Jess, you look stunning,” he said, in the sexiest voice. <em>Oh Jesus, yes, say something else.</em></p><p>She tilted her head at him, “Hi stranger, not so bad yourself.”</p><p>He chuckled, giving her a look that said he knew he was hot. <em>Ok, confident. I like.</em></p><p>Hannah jumped in, “This is Lucas! We were just going to take him to the firepit so we can <em>all</em> get to know him,” she glared at Jess when she said <em>‘all’</em>. Jess didn’t care; it wasn’t her fault he’d ignored them when she walked out.</p><p>Bobby walked up, putting an arm around her shoulder, “Ya could say... he’s going to get a right grilling.”</p><p>Jess chuckled but Lucas glared at Bobby, “What?”</p><p>Bobby’s face dropped, “Oh, because we’re at the firepit, and it’s grilling…” he trailed off.</p><p>Lucas smirked at him, “Thanks mate, it’s always funny when you have to explain the joke.” <em>Rude.</em></p><p>“Don’t be a dick, Lucas,” Jess glared at him and he looked down at her in surprise and gave her an apologetic smile.</p><p>“Sorry,” he mumbled.</p><p>Gary laughed loudly, grabbing Lucas around the shoulders, and started walking him over to the firepit, speaking loudly enough so they could all hear, “Jess calls em like she sees em. Don’t worry about her though, she’s a big old softie!”</p><p>Jess laughed, “Better watch out Gaz, I’m coming for you next!”</p><p>“Ha Ha,” Gary called out, not knowing that Jess had run up behind him. She reached out and pressed two fingers into the side of his waist, causing him to squeal and jump. Everyone started laughing as Jess ran out in front of him to the firepit, cackling as she went.</p><p>As everyone joined, she reached out and grabbed Rocco’s hand, settling into the seat with him and he put one of his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a cuddle.</p><p>“So, what do you do Lucas?” Jess smiled at him as he sat down opposite her.</p><p>He went to open his mouth but Hope, who was sitting right next to him, hand on his shoulder, clearly happy to be the single one right now, cut him off, “He’s a physiotherapist.”</p><p>Jess smiled, ignoring Hope, “So you give the best massages then?”</p><p>He smirked at her, “I have been told that before. Maybe you’d like to find out?” <em>Oh, for sure. Now? No?</em></p><p>“I know I would,” Hope purred in his ear.</p><p>Noah glared at the interaction, clearly NOT happy about Hope being single. Maybe things weren’t going well for him and Priya?</p><p>
  <em>Ugh. I'm so confused by all the drama already and it's only day three.</em>
</p><p>Ibrahim and Gary jumped in, asking Lucas questions about what he like to do; rowing, his type; confident, flirty girls, and his number; 17. She rolled her eyes at that, boys were so weird. She’d never counted all her sexual relationships. To be fair, she didn’t really want to, knowing that she’d only had four years to enjoy the single life and she’d managed to get a fair amount done in that time. Still, probably not as much as she could, considering she preferred long term hook-ups.</p><p>“So, the all-important question then,” Ibrahim said, “Who have you got your eye on?”</p><p>Lucas looked Jess in the eye immediately, but Hope interrupted again, cooing, “You know I’m single right?”</p><p>Lucas ignored her, “Jess. I want to get to know Jess.” <em>Oh yeah? I'd like to get to know what you look like naked. Wait. Shit. Tone it down Jess.</em></p><p>All the islanders turned to look at her, but she just smiled sweetly at Lucas. Rocco gave her a little squeeze, telling her he was excited for her to get to know someone romantically.</p><p>Gary laughed, “Mate, I reckon Jess and Rocco are one of the strongest couples here, they’ll be hard to break up!”</p><p>Hope scoffed and scowled at Priya, “Only because <em>someone</em> broke up the <em>actual</em> strongest couple.”</p><p>Lucas met her eyes across the firepit, a small smirk on his lips and she winked at him. Of course. He knew her and Rocco weren’t a thing; he would have seen the episodes. Jess wondered if that’s why he was so interested in her; was she an easy target?</p><p>Lucikly, she didn't have too much time to ruminate on it before her phone went off.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Jess looked down and read the message and Rocco leant over to get a sneak peak.<em> Fuck yes! Now we're talking.</em></p><p>She looked at him with excitement and he jumped up from his seat, hopping on the spot. Jess laughed and high-fived him.</p><p>“What is it?!” Gary asked, laughing at their display.</p><p>Jess looked over, doing a little dance on the spot as she yelled excitedly, “It’s a kissing competition!”</p><p>Everyone, except Hannah, jumped up, shouting too. Gary grabbed Ibrahim around the neck and said, “Yes, Get in boy!” and Bobby clapped Lucas on the back, “What an intro to the Villa mate,” while Lucas stood, smiling at Jess. She was <em>loving</em> the attention he was giving her.</p><p>Once everyone had calmed down Jess read out the text, “It’s time to find out who the best kisser on the island is. Boys, you will be blind-folded, and the girls will take their turns kissing each of you. You will then judge each other, and the winners will go on a date #brushyourteeth #dates.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby was pumped as he walked up to the challenge area. Usually, it might be a bit weird, kissing six girls, but most of them seemed as excited as the boys so he just decided to go with it. Plus, he figured it was a great way to see if he felt a spark with any of the girls in here. Nothing like jumping in the deep end right? He was also glad that him and Marisol had decided to just be friends last night, and he hadn’t kissed any of the girls yet, so no one would get mad at him for scoring them wrong. It was a win win.</p><p>He felt bad for Noah though, Bobby knew he’d hooked up with Priya <em>and</em> Hope. He looked <em>super</em> nervous, probably hoping that he could tell them apart to avoid any drama if they asked him.</p><p>Bobby laughed as he watched Jess bouncing around, hyping up the girls for the challenge. He had briefly wondered if she was excited because she got to kiss Lucas, he had sensed something between them earlier, but dismissed it as he remembered she was just as excited by the challenge yesterday. Bobby realised that Jess was probably this amped up about everything, though it shouldn’t be a surprise; he already thought she was one of the most fun people he had ever met.</p><p>He walked over to one of the tables that had noise cancelling headphones and a blindfold on it. They were meant to put them on so they couldn’t tell which girl was kissing them, but the girls knew who they were kissing so when they judged them, on a score out of ten, they would be able to do so strategically. In front of him was a small stool, he guessed it was so the girls could use it if they were too short.</p><p>The boys grinned at each other in the line before they put on the equipment. Once he had, it was complete darkness, and Bobby swayed on the spot as he got used to the feeling of having no senses. All he could hear was his heartbeat and the sounds of his own breathing.</p><p>The first girl came up to him, he felt her put her hand on his chest, a little timidly and reached up to grab his face. She was still a bit short so he bent down and their lips met. Her lips were soft as they moved across his mouth, but she didn’t try to deepen it, which was fine with him.</p><p>He had already decided he wasn’t going to reach out and grab any of the girls. Kissing was fine, but he thought they should be able to consent to touching, so he kept his distance, hands at his sides. It was brief, but nice.</p><p>He held up <em>five</em> fingers behind his back so the producers could mark their scores but the girls couldn’t see.</p><p>Bobby jumped as the next girl immediately grabbed his face and stuck her tongue straight down his throat. He let out a little grunt at being kissed so aggressively and she must have taken that as a groan because she pressed herself against him and started going to town. It was wet and sloppy, and he was all in all really grossed out by it. He wiped his arm across his mouth when they were done.</p><p>
  <em>Two.</em>
</p><p>The next girl did a little better, she touched his chest first, letting him know she was there and pressed her lips to his. It was soft and sweet, and he shivered at the contact and she ended the kiss with a quick peck.</p><p>
  <em>Six.</em>
</p><p>He was getting kind of used to standing around, waiting for the girls, so when the next girl touched his face, he didn’t jump. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him, so he was leaning over her as their lips met. She tasted sweet, like strawberry lip balm, and he thought of his sister’s lip balm that he used to wear/eat as a kid. She kept the kiss chaste.</p><p><em>Seven.</em> He gave extra points for the lip gloss.</p><p>The next girl slid her body directly against his as they kissed, she was actually a really good kisser, running her tongue delicately across his as they deepened the kiss. She moved her hands to his neck and started drawing patterns with her fingertips. It sent a tingle to his toes and he pressed his body back against hers. It lasted a little longer that the others and when they pulled apart, he smiled at her. She put her hand on his chest and gave it a quick pat before walking off. He definitely wanted to kiss her again.</p><p>
  <em>Eight.</em>
</p><p>Bobby felt someone grab his hands, they were soft and warm, and he gave her hands a little squeeze. She moved his hands to her waist and when he gripped her, she stepped close to him, so they were lightly touching. She ran her fingers from his hands, up his arms, and along his collarbone, leaving goosebumps wherever she touched. She pressed a kiss to his collarbone, and he felt a shiver go up his spine. She kissed her way up his neck as she moved her hands into his hair, and lightly tugged at his dreads. Automatically he tugged her closer to him and let out a soft moan. He could feel her smile as she kissed his along his jaw. His cock twitched and he had to tell it to shut the fuck up; she hadn’t even kissed him yet.</p><p>He could feel her breath blow against his lips, and he leaned into her, eager to have her kiss him. Instead of kissing him though, she tugged on his lower lip, sucking it into her mouth. Oh fuck, he was a goner. Moving on of his hands up, he slipped his long fingers into her hair, not even paying attention to who this was, though he realised he probably should have been. He pulled her face in and started kissing her. He knew in the back of his mind that she was meant to be kissing him, but she let him take the lead and he loved it. They kissed slowly at first but then she ran her tongue across his bottom lip, and he moaned, probably very loudly, as he opened his mouth and slid his tongue across hers. The first touch was like fireworks and all of a sudden, he couldn’t get enough. He dragged her even closer, pressing her tightly against him, and felt a vibration on her lips, assuming she’d moaned as well. She tugged harder at his dreads and swayed her hips gently against his as their tongues explored each other’s mouths. Fuck. Fuck. He needed to slow this down before it got out of hand and he had a hard on in front of everyone, instead of just the semi he had right now. She seemed to think the exact same thing and they slowly pulled their faces away, bodies still pressed in tight. She ran her fingers over his bottom lip, and he smiled at her. She leaned in a pressed a soft kiss to his lips before stepping back.</p><p>Holy shit. Er.. <em>Ten?</em></p><p>He was standing there, still trying to talk himself out of being so turned on, when he felt a tap on his shoulder and pulled his blindfold and headphones off. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sunlight and he blinked around at the boys, who all stood grinning back at him.</p><p>Bobby looked over at the girls, who were all smiling sweetly back, some looked nervous, but he noticed Jess was standing there, in her usual confident power pose, with a small smirk on her lips. When he caught her eye, she winked at him and grinned.</p><p>Hope got a text, she excitedly read it out, “The girl voted best kisser by the boys is…”</p><p>Gary, who was next to him, grinned and whispered, “The last one right?” Bobby nodded in response. <em>Yeah, for sure.</em></p><p>As they stood around waiting for the reveal Bobby looked over at Jess and she smiled smugly at him. He raised his eyebrow at her and she mouthed,<em> “me,”</em> at the exact same moment Noah read out, “Jess!”</p><p>She smiled sweetly at no one in particular and shrugged her shoulders while the girls expressed a mixture of anger and awe and the boys coughed and avoided eye contact with their partners.</p><p>Gary yelled out, “Way to go Rocco!”</p><p>If he hadn't felt so flustered, he might have been the one to make a joke. <em>Shit, shit, shit.</em></p><p>Hope and Hannah both frowned and started grilling Noah and Gary on which girl they thought they were; making everyone uncomfortable as they guessed wrong. Yikes.</p><p>Bobby zoned out of that conversation faster than a speeding bullet, a little lost in thought about Jess. It seemed likely she was the last girl, and it was a fucking amazing kiss. How amazing would it be if he’d been able to see and hear her? But he was struggling with his feelings on the matter. On the one hand, he saw her as a friend. On the other hand, he was still attracted to her and he desperately wanted to kiss her again. Then, to add to that, maybe it was just the way she kissed and there was nothing special about <em>their</em> kiss. As he pondered this, there was one thing in his mind that stood out to him. He absolutely had to get his mind off the kiss. He and Jess were friends. He did not want to complicate that relationship with meaningless sex. As much as his lower half wanted to. </p><p>He tuned back in just as they were announcing the winner from the boys. Jess frowned as she read the text out, “Lucas.”</p><p>The boys ran to pat Lucas on the back and the girls were all nodding at each other, giggling and whispering, probably about their kisses with him. Bobby watched as Jess looked at the girls, shook her head and rolled her eyes. Clearly, she didn’t agree with the announcement. <em>Huh. Not that I'm interested to know who was or anything. Nope. Not at all.</em></p><p>Eventually the girls went off with Jess to help her get ready for the date and the lads, sans Lucas, sat around the beanbags chatting. Mostly about who they thought was who and trying to figure out if they could recognise their partners from the way they kissed. Nobody could agree on anything and Bobby couldn’t really join in the conversation, having not kissed anyone in the Villa yet.</p><p>“At least all the girls really went for it,” Rocco drawled, “They had such good energy.”</p><p>“Pfft, screw the energy, mate, what about Jess? What a fucking babe! You’re a lucky man!” Gary said, clapping him on the back.</p><p>Rocco frowned but stayed silent, shifting out from under Gary's grip.</p><p>Noah piped up, blushing a little as he said, “I have to admit, I was surprised. She, ah, was really very good. Now I really wished I’d stepped forward, especially if that’s what I would have been getting.”</p><p>“I wonder how many guys she’s had to kiss to get that good,” Ibrahim wondered.</p><p>Gary chuckled, “With looks like that, bet she’s out on the town every night picking up blokes.”</p><p>“Plus, she’s really forward, she probably does this thing a lot,” Ibrahim said, “Wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of summer, she’s snogging us all.”</p><p>“Well I’m fucking first, once she’s done with Rocco!” Gary laughed.</p><p>Something in Bobby snapped and he stood up; his fist clenched at his sides, “Shut up yah twats! Jess is nothing but nice tae all of yeh and yeh sitting around judging her for being a good kisser? How about yeh worry less about that and more about yeh own girls, who yeh couldn’t even tell apart from the others.”</p><p>He stormed off towards the kitchen, leaving the boys. He hated it when lads talked shit like that about girls, it always made him think of people saying things like that about his sisters and immediately wanted to punch anyone who would dare.</p><p>He was still fuming in the kitchen when Jess walked in, wearing a short, sparkling jumpsuit that was low cut, exposing her breasts the same way as her bikini did the first time he met her. His anger melted away when he looked into her smiling eyes and she beamed at him, “Hey Bobs!”</p><p>“Lass, you are looking absolutely fire!” he complimented her.</p><p>She blushed, “Gotta bring it you know,” she winked at him.</p><p>He knew she didn’t really mean it; he’d watched her constantly brush off compliments from everyone in the Villa. She was an enigma; one one hand she loved attention, but on the other she hated people actually complimenting her. Perhaps she resented that she was so pretty. It was weird.</p><p>“So… that was a fun challenge, right?” she was leaning against the bench beside him, a smirk on her face. </p><p>“Ha! It was for yer,” he wiggled his eyebrows at her.</p><p>“Oh whatever, I know you enjoyed it too, I got to watch remember?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh shit, I forgot about that.</em>
</p><p>He remembered her smug face after, “Is that how yeh knew yeh were going to win?”</p><p>She shrugged, “Swim trunks don’t hide much.”</p><p>It was his turn to blush as he remembered moaning as he’d kissed her, and how, with the headphones on, he couldn’t be sure how loud it was. He cleared his throat, wanting to change the subject before he thought about the kiss anymore “How much time have yeh got? Wanna do something fun?”</p><p>She looked at him suspiciously, “What is it first?”</p><p>He leaned down and whispered, “Pranks!”</p><p>Jess’s face lit up, her eyes sparkling and smiling wide, he was momentarily taken aback by how pretty she was when she smiled like that, full of joy, “Hell yes! What do you have in mind?”</p><p>Bobby thought about it for a second, he hadn’t actually come up with any plan, it was just the first thing that popped into his head, “Why don’t we switch out someone’s wardrobe?” <em>So fucking lame Bobby. God.</em></p><p>She frowned, “That’s lame and you know it!”</p><p>She put a finger to her chin, forehead scrunched in concentration as she thought of something. Her eyes widened as she spotted something on the bench. Lifting up the Oreo packet she said, “We could swap the middle out for mayo?”</p><p>He grinned, “Yeah that’s a great idea Lass! We could do it later tonight and then leave the packet out on the bench for tomorrow and they’ll grab one with their tea!”</p><p>Pretty much everyone here made tea or coffees in the mornings and the packet was still out from when they were all dunking theirs this morning.</p><p>Jess leaned up and high-fived Bobby, “Commence Operation Oreo!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess was standing around, chatting quietly with Bobby about how they might actually pull off their prank. They had decided that they’d go to the rooftop later, bringing with them everything they’d need to execute their plan. They were just finishing up when someone coughed behind them.</p><p>Jess turned to see Lucas standing there, looking very handsome in a white pressed shirt, with a few buttons left undone and navy pants. He smiled at her and held out his hand, “You ready to go?”</p><p>“Of course, let’s do it!” She took his hand and they walked back towards the Villa. Mostly everyone cheered them on as they went, making Jess blush for some reason. <em>Shit, so embarrassing.</em></p><p>Lucas looked down at her and put an arm around her waist, “Ignore them. I’m really excited about this.”</p><p>She smiled at him as he opened the door for her, “Me too.”</p><p>Her and Lucas chatted a little on the ride to their date. She learnt that he had a motorcycle but hadn’t started riding until he tried to impress a date by saying he could and went out the next day to learn to ride. He also made a pretty funny quip about not letting her ride with him, clearly having seen the conversation with Bobby last night. She learnt that his family was small, and not very close, and he felt a lot of pressure from his father to do well. His father didn’t like that he was on the show at all and Lucas almost pulled out of casting before coming on, but decided his dad was already pissed, so may as well.</p><p>He seemed like the serious type, someone who would likely scoff tomorrow morning at her and Bobby’s prank, so she was really confused as to why he seemed so enamoured with her when they’d first met. He wasn’t exactly hiding his interest. She was just about to ask him when they arrived at their location. It was a vineyard, and a table had been set up so they could look out across the view. It was very private. Well, except the camera crew, but let's pretend they don't exist.</p><p>They sat down and he poured her some wine, his hands shaking as he did, “Are you nervous?” she asked him.</p><p>He blushed, “I mean, yeah, a little. Are you?”</p><p>She smiled at him, “I guess, but first dates are always awkward, so the bar is pretty low.”</p><p>“Oh wow, glad to see I haven’t got to jump too high then,” he laughed.</p><p>“I wouldn’t get too complacent if I were you, I haven’t asked you to jump yet,” she smirked.</p><p>He tapped his chin, pretending to be in thought, “And yet… I’m still jumping.”</p><p>She laughed. Ok, so he was hot and had decent banter. Good to know. She decided to just ask the question on her mind, “So, are you super interested in me because you know things aren’t working out with Rocco?”</p><p>He seemed a little surprised by her direct questioning but smiled smugly, “Who said I’m super interested in you?”</p><p>“Are you saying you’re not?” she raised an eyebrow playfully, causing him to laugh.</p><p>“You are something else Jess,” he smiled warmly at her, “Alright, you got me. I’ve watched two episodes of this show and already I know you are sweet, funny, intelligent, confident and you seem like someone who would do anything to get what they want. So would I. I think we’d get along really well and I’m happy we get to give it a shot today.”</p><p>She sat in silence, not really knowing what to say. She was expecting him to tell her she was fit, but he’d only complimented her personality. It had been a long time since someone had looked past her looks. She was surprised it was this guy, who mostly looked like he just wanted arm candy that his dad would approve of.</p><p>He looked out across the vineyards, frowning as he spoke quietly, “Part of me thought maybe it was too good to be true. Maybe I’d come in here and find out you aren’t really as… amazing as you come across on telly,” he looked back at her, smiling sincerely, “I’m glad that I was wrong.”</p><p>“I mean, it’s only been a few hours, so don’t be too sure,” she smirked, trying to downplay how fast her heart was beating. She knew he was grafting right now, but part of her wanted to believe him.</p><p>“Nah, I see you,” he smiled and reached his hand out, taking hold of hers. His grip was strong, and it made her feel a little gooey, thinking about what else his hands would hold that tightly. She looked into his eyes and suddenly she had an urge to kiss him. She already knew from the challenge that he was an aggressive kisser, but she knew she could teach him to be softer and she wanted to start right this very second.</p><p>Lucas seemed to read her mind because he picked up his chair and moved it next to hers. He grabbed her face with his hands, looking at her lips, then back to her eyes as he ran his thumbs over her lips. She moaned a little and he smirked at her, then leaned in closer. Jess knew in the back of her mind that she shouldn’t be doing this, she was coupled up with Rocco, and yeah, it was only friendship, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was wrong. She put her hands on his chest, feeling his muscles tighten under her touch. She stared at him for what felt like hours, debating whether she should push him away, or grab his shirt and pull him to her.</p><p>Eventually she sighed and put her head on his shoulders. His arms came up and wrapped around her. His hug was so warm and comforting and as she ran her fingers down his chest, she almost changed her mind right there and then.</p><p>They were both still breathing heavily, from the anticipation of the kiss, and her voice broke as she spoke, “I can’t.” <em>Idiot! You're so going to regret this.</em></p><p>He buried his face in her hair, tugging her closer and whispered, “I know.”</p><p>They sat there for a few moments longer, just holding each other as they came down from their moment.</p><p>When he pulled away, he was smiling brightly at her and she automatically smiled back, “So, I know a lot about you, why don’t you ask me some questions?” he suggested.</p><p>Jess grinned at him and they started talking again, mostly about him and his life, but Jess didn’t really mind; she hated talking about herself anyway. They still sat close as they talked, holding hands. It felt really comfortable and Jess was starting to think maybe she could let her walls down and let someone in.</p><p>Soon they got a text to say it was over and Lucas kissed her on the cheek as they walked back into the Villa, her arm looped into his.</p><p>When they walked in, everyone was already dressed for the evening and hanging out at the firepit. The Islanders cheered as they walked over to join them. Marisol asked how it went, causing everyone to stare at her. <em>Thanks Marisol</em>.</p><p>“It was great actually, Lucas is a great guy and I had fun,” she said, smiling at him, but letting her arm drop out of his.</p><p>“Yeah, I had a good time too,” he said, directly to her.</p><p>Rocco came over to her then, putting his arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek. He leaned over and whispered to her, “Happy for you babe.”</p><p>She squeezed him in for a cuddle and then announced she was going to go inside quickly and would be back out. She just wanted a moment of peace to process her date.</p><p>Jess sat up on the rooftop, enjoying the peace and quiet, watching the cloud float by. She had nabbed a bottle of sparkling wine on the way up here and she was just sitting, drinking out of the bottle. Like the classy bitch she was.</p><p>Suddenly the door to the rooftop burst open and Lottie stood in the doorway grinning at her, it was weird, she didn’t think she’d seen Lottie grin before.</p><p>“I’ve been looking for you!” she said, walking across the balcony and grabbing the bottle of wine. “Great idea,” she mumbled as she took a sip.</p><p>Jess laughed, “You mean you came to find out the goss from my hot date?”</p><p>“Yeah, obviously.” <em>Gotta love an honest answer.</em></p><p>“Well, it was nice.”</p><p>Lottie raised her eyebrow at her, “That’s what you say when you have lunch with your grandma.”</p><p>“True...” Jess considered telling her more, but she didn’t really want rumours getting around the Villa. She eyed the Aussie, wondering if she could trust her or not. She took a couple of sips from the bottle while she thought, Lottie looked at her the whole time, smirking a little as she waited.</p><p>“Ok,” she finally said, “I’ll tell you. The honest truth, no secrets. But you have to promise not to spread it around,” she held out her pinky finger to Lottie, looking in her eyes with a frown so she knew she was being serious.</p><p>Lottie put her pinky around Jess’s finger, “I like you Jess. We agree, no secrets between us and we won’t share our secrets either.”</p><p>Jess smiled at her, “Deal. At least until it airs on TV anyway.”</p><p>Lottie threw back her head and laughed, “True,” she took a swig of the bottle and settled into the couch, “So spill.”</p><p>Jess smiled at her, she didn’t know 100% if she could trust Lottie but she really hoped she was right about her, it was nice to have a girl friend. Plus, she’d be able to figure out really quickly if she could trust the blonde; if the whole Villa heard about her date tomorrow, she’d know, “Ok, so he’s obviously really hot…”</p><p>Lottie nodded.</p><p>“He is quite serious, which isn’t my usual type. But he’s very charming. Like very very charming. Knows all the right things to say.”</p><p>Lottie smirked, “Like charm your pants off charming?”</p><p>“Yes! Please!” Jess threw her head back, “I would let him too,” she mused.</p><p>“The pope would let him.”</p><p>“The. Truth.”</p><p>“You gonna do bits then?” she asked, pointing at the camera in the corner.</p><p>Jess shrugged, “I don’t mind waiting till we’re out. But who knows once you’re in the mood ya know?”</p><p>“Sure, if you’re into your family watching.”</p><p>“Ew,” Jess laughed and lightly shoved Lottie, “Thanks for that.”</p><p>Lottie took a sip from the bottle, then looked at Jess expectantly, “So?”</p><p>“So what?”</p><p>She threw her hands up, “Ugh! Did you kiss?” <em>I wish. God I'm such a dumbass.</em></p><p>“I really wanted to. Like <em>reeeeaaalllyyy</em> wanted to. We almost did. But no, I’m still with Rocco, it wouldn’t be right.”</p><p>Lottie looked at her a little surprised.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>She shrugged, “I’m impressed with your self-control; he’s smoking hot.”</p><p>“Tell me about it. Now imagine him with a smouldering <em>‘kiss me’</em> look too, right here,” Jess motioned with her hands to show Lottie how close he was to her and Lottie laughed.</p><p>She took another sip, and remembered Lottie’s date with Gary, “What about you? How was the date with Gary yesterday?”</p><p>Lottie flipped her hair, pretending to be causal, but Jess noticed the blush that crept up onto her cheeks, “It was fine.”</p><p>“Bullshit!” Jess jumped up in her seat, “Tell me right now!”</p><p>Lottie smiled to herself, “I like him.”</p><p>Jess looked at her, shocked, “What, like him, like him?” <em>Ew, like him, like him? Really? I hate myself.</em></p><p>She looked up at the sky, muttering under her breath, frustrated, “Yeeeesss!”</p><p>“Ok. Tell me what happened.”</p><p>Lottie sighed, “Well… I don’t have as much control as you…”</p><p>Jess put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from making too much noise. She couldn’t believe it, she knew Hannah wasn’t right for Gary, but she didn’t think sparks were flying <em>that</em> much towards Lottie either.</p><p>“We’ve actually talked quite a bit. He says he wants to dump Hannah, but he hasn’t actually done that yet. So I guess I’m just a side piece right?”</p><p>“Babes, you’re worth the whole meal,” Jess handed her the bottle to drink, “Do you regret it?”</p><p>Lottie nodded, “I didn’t mean to kiss him on the date. It’s just, it was another one of our deep chats and we were in the hideaway and… it just happened,” she sighed, her shoulders slumping, “I feel bad about it and Gary does too. We agreed we wouldn’t kiss again until we were coupled up, but I just feel this pull towards him you know?”</p><p>Jess nodded, waiting for her to continue.</p><p>“I’m still going to get to know him, it sucks but I can’t let this go. I think I <em>really</em> like him. Like, maybe I could fall for him.”</p><p>“You think that after three days, one date?” <em>It takes me longer than that to decide what new laptop I want to buy. Jesus Christ.</em></p><p>She shrugged and took another sip.</p><p>“I guess if you know, you know...”</p><p>“The. Truth.” Lottie nodded.</p><p>They moved on, talking about their lives back home. Jess told her about her job and annoying sister and Lottie told her about why she’d moved from Australia and what her family was like. They had quickly ran out of wine and had snuck downstairs to get more and were now lying on the bed (really, just a wide section of the bench with a blankets and pillows on it), looking at the stars come out as the sun set, getting drunk as they chatted.</p><p>Eventually the sun set and a knock on the door had them both sitting up. Bobby stood there, grinning at them both, his arms behind his back, “Aye, there yeh are! I was just coming to chat with Jess.”</p><p>Lottie gave Jess a questioning look that told her they were going to have to talk about this later and Jess rolled her eyes at her and shook her head. Lottie got up and walked out, kissing Bobby on the cheek as she went, “Have fun you two,” she called, and Jess laughed.</p><p>Bobby pulled out what he had hidden behind his back; supplies for Operation Oreo. Jess grinned at him and patted the bed beside her. He flopped down, putting the tray between them.</p><p>“I didn’t know you two were so close?” Jess asked him.</p><p>He looked at her, raising his eyebrow, “I didn’t know <em>yeh</em> were so close.”</p><p>Jess laughed, “Fair point.”</p><p>They got to work on their prank, Jess pulling out the middle of the Oreos, declaring it was the best part and eating them as they went. Bobby disagreed, but he passed her the middle bits that he was pulling out too and she grinned every time he did, popping it into her mouth.</p><p>It was a lot harder to make the mayo look normal than they had thought but they’d managed to get most of them done, deciding to only do every second one, hoping the others wouldn’t catch on as quickly that way. Bobby hid the tray under the bench and said he’d come back later and grab it. Jess smiled at him and gave him a high-five. It was a super lame prank, but it was nice to focus on something other than Villa BS.</p><p>As they were working, music had started playing downstairs, “We should probably join those fuckers,” Jess said.</p><p>“Aye, even though you’re my favourite,” Bobby grinned at her, holding his hand out so she could get to her feet.</p><p>“You too Bee,” she smiled at him then reached out and pressed her finger to his nose, “Boop!” and then she ran for the door, laughing down the stairs and onto the lawn where she could see all the Islanders dancing.</p><p>Bobby came out the door, seconds behind her, laughing as well. He grabbed her hand and dragged her off to the where everyone was dancing. For a few hours everyone danced together, laughing, singing and, of course, fighting over the music choices. At one point Bobby and Priya had an epic rap battle that had everyone in stitches.</p><p>Suddenly the music stops, and someone’s phone goes off.</p><p>Marisol pulls out her phone and reads, “Islanders, tomorrow there will be a recoupling. The boys will choose #boyschoice.”</p><p><em>Oh thank fuck.</em> At least she didn't have to wait too long to snog Lucas.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. I heard that you were grafting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jess tries to influence the recoupling (good luck with that babe, I'm rooting for you). A challenge brings up bad blood.  Bobby &amp; Jess bond as they both open up to each other (BORING! I recommend just scrolling straight through it. God, how long till we get to the good stuff? Cough cough, smut? I'm dying over here). </p><p>Then it's recoupling time, and they all pretty much ruin it for themselves, like the muppets they are (facepalm x1000).</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess woke up to her phone going off. Groaning she sat up and looked around the room. Her and Gary are the only one’s still in the room and he’s still fast asleep. She laughs to herself; everyone is probably out grafting ahead of the recoupling tonight. She looks at the nightstand and see’s Rocco has left a cup of coffee for her and it’s still warm. She takes a couple of sips, thinking about how she’s going to miss this when they’re no longer coupled up tonight. He was picking Marisol and Lucas had confirmed last night that he wanted to pick her. Grabbing her phone, she read a text that she’s wanted in the Beach Hut.</p><p>
  <em>Well, they can wait till I’m ready.</em>
</p><p>She gets out of bed and heads over to have a shower and picks up a blue and white floral bikini that looks adorable on the hanger. Putting on her usual basic makeup, she heads to the hut.</p><p>Once inside she settles in with her coffee... which is now cold, but she doesn’t really care; the caffeine still works the same.</p><p><strong>Who do you want to be coupled up with tonight?</strong> “I want Lucas to pick me tonight. Have you seen that boy? He is so hot it hurts my eyes. Also, I kind of just want to kiss him already.”</p><p><strong>What if he picks someone else?</strong> Jess shrugs, “If Lucas picks someone that he has a better connection with, I won’t mind at all. I’m happy.”</p><p><strong>Who causes the most drama in the Villa?</strong> Ooof, that’s a tough one, “I’ve managed to stay out of most of the drama but most of it seems centred around Hope?”</p><p><strong>Who did you think the best kisser was in yesterday’s challenge?</strong> Jess’s mind flashed back to the challenge kiss, the one that fucking blew her away, “I think all the girls chose Lucas as the best kisser because they wanted to go on a date with him... but Bobby was hands down the winner. Like, where did he even learn to kiss like that? Holy shit. Mind blown. Might have been the best kiss I’ve ever had, and it was in a challenge, didn’t even count!” she finished with a laugh, instantly regretting what she’d said and really hoping they wouldn’t put that in the edit. <em>Fuck. Idiot.</em></p><p><strong>Do you want to kiss him again?</strong> <em>God damn it.</em> Jess put her coffee down and her hands in her head, mulling over the question, “Me and Bobby are just friends, I don’t see him like that. Would I do it again though? Yes, if there were no strings. What I really want to know is if he can <em>pleeeaaassseee</em> teach the other boys!”</p><p>-</p><p>Jess walked back to the Villa and could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. She skipped over to see both Hannah and Marisol working away. It looked like Marisol was making some kind of eggs and Hannah was making toast.</p><p>Jess slid up to Marisol and said, “What’s cooking good looking?”</p><p>Marisol blushed, “Oh, um, hi Jess, I’m just making Spanish Eggs.”</p><p>“Yum! My fave! Got enough for two?”</p><p>Marisol giggled, “Yes, but I was actually making them for Gary...” <em>Huh? I thought she was into Rocco?</em></p><p>Hannah dropped the knife she was holding, and it clattered to the kitchen counter. She glared at Marisol, <em>“What?”</em></p><p>Marisol looked at her and shrugged, “There’s a recoupling tonight, and I want to get to know Gary better.”</p><p>“But he’s <em>my</em> partner and <em>I’m</em> making him breakfast.”</p><p>Jess kept her face neutral as she cringed internally.</p><p><em>He doesn't want you Hannah, you need to find someone who won't treat you like a second choice. </em>If she thought Hannah could handle it, Jess might have told her as much. As it stands, she very much doubted she'd be able to say anything to her without her getting offended.</p><p>Marisol and Hannah continued to argue about who was making Gary breakfast while Jess went through her options here. Lottie and Gary want to be together, which obviously neither of them knew, so if they make Gary breakfast… what if he doesn’t pick Lottie? Also, Rocco said he and Marisol have been chatting, why would she even want to chat with Gary? Maybe she’s just keeping her options open. What did that mean for Rocco though?</p><p>Her feet started moving before she even consciously made the decision to do it. She wanted to talk to Gary. The girls were bringing him breakfast. She was starving. Fucking win win win!</p><p>Jess walked into the bedroom to see Gary still in bed, sitting up under the covers. He smiled up at her and she grinned back. She jumped down on the bed next to him, lifting the blankets up and settling herself in with her back against the pillows, “Hey Gaz!” she said cheerfully.</p><p>He eyed her suspiciously, “Hi Jess, what brings you here?”</p><p>She shrugged, “I’ve got a good feeling about breakfast and I thought we could chat.”</p><p>He smiled and leaned back against the pillows, “This about the recoupling? Do you want me to pick you too?”</p><p>“God no! There is no way in <em>hell</em> you could handle me, and you know it!”</p><p>He chuckled, “Maybe you couldn’t handle me!”</p><p>“You’re probably right,” she laughed, and he joined in for a moment before he grabbed his neck awkwardly.</p><p>“Um, so, is there really no chance for… me and you?” he laughed nervously as he blushed, “I dunno, I think we get along well and… just want to, uh, check…” he trailed off, looking away.</p><p>
  <em>Oh shit. Fuck. Not a chance in hell. Especially because Lottie will be there, overseeing everything.</em>
</p><p>Jess reached over and touched his arm, giving him a sympathetic smile, “I think you’re fucking cool Gary, but I think we’re good as mates.”</p><p>He nodded sadly, then returned to his beaming smile, “Gotta take the shot ya know?”</p><p>She laughed, “Sure do! So who are you gonna pick?”</p><p>He smiled secretively, “I have options.”</p><p>“Oh, I know <em>alllll</em> your options Gaz, so tell me.”</p><p>He made a motion like he was zipping his lips and she rolled her eyes at him. Just then Hannah and Marisol walked into the room, carrying a plate of food.</p><p>Jess smirked at Gary and whispered, “Told ya.”</p><p>“I can’t <em>believe</em> you Jess!” Hannah spat out.</p><p>Marisol just smirked at her, “Well played Jess, well played.” <em>Thanks.</em></p><p>While Hannah was flailing about, Gary reached over and grabbed the plate from her. She glared at him, yelled, “This is bullshit!” and stormed off.</p><p>Gary smiled at Jess, “Which one do you want?”</p><p>Jess smirked at Marisol, “Pretty sure I expressed interest earlier in some Spanish Eggs but was turned down sooo…” she made a grabby motion towards Marisol’s plate and she laughed and handed it over.</p><p>Marisol nodded at the space next to her, “Looks like you have room for three?”</p><p>Jess smiled and patted the space next to her.</p><p>Marisol just shook her head, “You’ve earned this one Jess,” and turned to walk out of the room.</p><p>As she reached the door, Jess yelled out, “Pretty sure I saw Rocco on the daybeds.”</p><p>
  <em>Please go hook up with him so I can hook up with Lucas later. Not that it's all about me, but seriously, I'll owe you.</em>
</p><p>Marisol turned around and winked at her, then left the room.</p><p>Gary eyed her, “That was impressive.”</p><p>“That’s me,” Jess giggled and tucked into the plate of eggs; they were amazing. She really had to get Marisol to make her these again.</p><p>Gary put down his plate with the toast, only having taken a bite of it, “Ugh, I hate avocado!”</p><p>Jess grabbed the second fork on the plate and gave it to him, “She did say there was enough for two,” she winked at him and they both tucked into the eggs, eating in silence.</p><p>When they were finished Jess stretched out, “Fuck, that was good.”</p><p>Gary chuckled, “That’s what they all say after being in bed with me.”</p><p>“Piss off Gaz,” she laughed as she pushed him lightly.</p><p>Getting out of bed, she rolled her neck and picked up the dishes to take back to the kitchen. She eyed Gary for a second, “You’re going to pick Lottie, right?”</p><p>Gary looked at her, a confused expression on his face, “How did you -”</p><p>She cut him off, “I know everything Gaz.”</p><p>He laughed nervously, “Yeah well, that’s the plan.”</p><p>Jess smiled brightly, “Good,” she said in a sing-song voice, “If you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”</p><p>She turned back to look at him when she got to the door and almost burst out laughing at the expression on his face. Pure fear. </p><p>He nodded once and Jess walked outside, feeling rather confident that she'd sorted that out; not just for Lottie's sake, but for Hannah's too. She shouldn't have to stay with someone who wasn't going to end up as... oh fuck, how did she put it? Her Prince Charming? Gag. <em>Other people don't save you, they hurt you, so the only one you can rely on is yourself.</em></p><p>Huh. Apparently Jess was full of clichés today. Jesus Christ. This place was driving her nuts already. <em>Someone vote me out soon, please!</em></p><p>After doing the dishes, she looked out at the Villa to see what everyone was up to, a whole lot of nothing to be honest. She spotted Bobby at the gym and decided that she could get in a quick work-out and see how the prank went.</p><p>
  <em>Multi-tasking skill level today = Pro.</em>
</p><p>He was sitting on the ground facing her, not at all looking like he’d done any physical activity but was instead leaning against one of the workout benches, looking off into the distance. When he spotted her coming, he grinned at her, “Hey Lass, you look fantastic today.”</p><p>“Give me 10 minutes and then tell me that.”</p><p>She sat on the other bench, adjusted the weight, lay back and grabbed the bar to start pushing. Once she’d started, she said, “How’d the prank go?”</p><p>“Oh, I cannae believe yeh missed it, we got Ibrahim, who was <em>pisssseeeddd</em>, and Lucas, who stormed off and I have nae seen him since. Grumpy git. Hope got a good one, so it missed her and all the rest of them caught on after that. It was still hilarious though.”</p><p>“Oh man, I can’t wait to watch it back and see their reactions!”</p><p>“Me either!” they sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again, “So what have <em>yeh</em> been up to this morning?”</p><p>She couldn’t see his face but she could hear in his voice he was smirking.</p><p>
  <em>Clearly he thinks he knows something.</em>
</p><p>“What do you <em>think</em> I’ve been doing?”</p><p>Bobby chuckled, “Aye, I heard that yeh were grafting on Gary earlier. The whole Villa heard actually; Hannah was very loud.”<em> Wasn’t she just.</em></p><p>Jess giggled, “I can imagine, but nah, it wasn’t like that. Honestly? I just wanted to eat Marisollll......s eggs.”</p><p>Bobby burst out laughing and she dropped the weight back as she did the same, “Yer ridiculous.”</p><p>She lay on the bench with an arm draped over her face, while she told him the story and they both laughed so loudly that Hannah yelled at them to shut up from the other side of the lawn. Clearly, she was still salty.</p><p>When they calmed down, he asked, “So are yer all set with Rocco? Or has Lucas turned yeh head?”</p><p>Jess sat up and looked down at him, purposefully avoiding the question, “Are you set with Marisol?”</p><p>“Ahgh, she’s doing meh bloody head in. I like her as a friend but that’s it.”</p><p>
  <em>Must resist saying 'I told you so'.</em>
</p><p>“Whatcha gonna do?” she asked instead.</p><p>Booby groaned and put his hands in his head, “I dinnae. Decide at the time?” he poked an eye out from between his fingers to look at her and she gave him a sympathetic smile. She did not envy his position.</p><p>“You could pick a name out of a hat?”</p><p>“Aye, but what if I got Hannah?” he pretended to shudder and they both laughed.</p><p>“Right,” she said, standing up, “Now I’m going to actually get my graft on. Maybe find Lucas”</p><p>“Aye, he is the best kisser.”</p><p>She wrinkled her nose, “He’s definitely not,” she said as she started to walk away.</p><p>
  <em>You are.</em>
</p><p>Bobby chuckled, “Good luck Lass.”</p><p>She turned to wink at him, “Don’t need it.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby watched Jess walk back towards the Villa, then buried his face back in his hands. He thought he had his own problems, what with having no idea who to choose, but it seems he’s not the only one. Rocco and Jess seem pretty happy and cosy with each other but now she’s off grafting on Lucas? Does Rocco know? Should he be the one to say something?</p><p>He sighed. It’s been four days and he already hates how much this place plays mind games on you. <em>And it's only downhill from here.</em></p><p>“What’s your problem then?”</p><p>He opened his eyes to see Lottie sitting down in front of him, tea in hand, staring at him thoughtfully. They had been getting along really well lately, he loved that she was so straight forward and cutthroat – it meant that you never had to keep guessing what’s on her mind. He thought that she liked how childish he could be; she seemed to open up around him and he’d actually made her laugh a couple of times too. He loved being around her because, unlike Jess, or even Priya, there was no underlying attraction. Just pure, wholesome platonic friendship. He really needed that here. Especially when the girls pranced around all day in their bloody bathing suits. Lottie kind of reminded him of his mum. If his mum was, you know, a scary goth bitch. Oh sorry, witch.</p><p>He smiled at her, “What’s yers?”</p><p>She smirked and handed the tea out to him, “Drink this. I want to read your leaves.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her. They had done this yesterday and she’d told him that there was love in his future, but it was faint, which meant that it could be anywhere from a few days to a few months away. She said he had a road ahead, peppered with challenges, which sounded to Bobby like they were just going to be doing a lot of challenges in the Villa but, whatever. She had told him that she was very interested in reading his leaves from now on; she couldn’t pinpoint any specific information and she wanted to keep checking in to see when things changed.</p><p>He took the cup and drank it as she’d instructed yesterday, then watched as she swirled the cup and studied the contents carefully.</p><p>After a few minutes she looked up at him sadly, “No change, we’ll check tomorrow.”</p><p>“How long dae we have to keep doing this?” Bobby whined at her.</p><p>She shrugged, “As long as it takes.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“For me to figure it out. There’s something there, but I can’t see it,” Lottie chuckled then said, “Who would have thought you would be hard to figure out.”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>Lottie frowned suddenly and went quiet, Bobby left her with her thoughts for a moment before she finally said what she was thinking, “Was that Jess? Hannah said she was grafting on Gary earlier…”</p><p>Bobby laughed and eyed Lottie for a moment, “Of course nae,” he had noticed the looks that were shared between the two of them. Lottie was 100% into Gary. Truthfully, he had no idea where Gary’s head was at, he suspected he had a few crushes in the Villa. Jess was definitely up there on his list, but it was hard to know where Lottie fit into it.</p><p>“Oh! Well, whatever. I don’t care,” Lottie shrugged and flipped her hair over her shoulders.</p><p>“Mmhhmm.”</p><p>Lottie glared at him.</p><p>“So Ibrahim isn’t picking you tonight then?”</p><p>She shuddered, “Definitely not. Who are you picking?”</p><p>“I dunnae, whoever’s left?”</p><p>Lottie looked at him, “What about Jess?”</p><p>“Nae, she’s got her own thing going on.”</p><p>“Are you two…?”</p><p>Bobby looked at her, shocked, it didn’t look like they were right? He didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about them, “Nae way! Just friends.”</p><p>She shrugged, “That kiss yesterday didn’t look like that to me.”</p><p>
  <em>Thanks for reminding me of the thing I've been trying to forget about.</em>
</p><p>He laughed at that, “We kissed too, remember?”</p><p>“Yeah and it was gross!!”</p><p>“Whatever, I know yeh want me,” Bobby jumped to his feet and started gyrating his hips in the air.</p><p>Lottie got up and started pushing him playfully, telling him to cut it out. He eventually started running away from her across the lawn, while she chased him, laughing and shouting at each other. When they got to the pool Lottie started trying to push him in. He stood at the edge of the pool, with his back facing the water, and Lottie leapt forward, both hands out. Bobby grabbed hold of her wrists as she did, lifting them above his head. While she was still surprised at the sudden action, he grabbed her waist, spun around and flung her into the pool.</p><p>He stood on the edge of the pool, bent over with laughter as he watched her gasping for breath in the pool and yelling obscenities at him.</p><p>Out of nowhere he felt Jess next to him, she smiled at him and as he went to smile back, through his laughter, she whispered, “Oh Bee, you’ve made a mistake,” and shoved him in the pool. Hard.</p><p>He was so surprised that it took him a moment for his brain to realise that he was actually in the water, the shock of the cold water jarring his sense momentarily.</p><p>He burst out, spluttering, ready to get Jess back, but when he cleared the water from his eyes, she was already skipping over to the kitchen, smirking back at him.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, she better watch her back.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess walked into the challenge area, arm around Rocco.</p><p>They had got a text that they were doing a challenge, but it wasn’t until they got there that they could see what it was. A large banner with the words 'Mean Tweets' was hanging over the area and there were tables lined in a semi-circle, each with two chairs, chalk and chalkboards.</p><p>“Wait, do we get to hear what the public thinks of us?” Hope asked worriedly.</p><p>“Are yeh worried?” Bobby laughed.</p><p>Hope shrugged, “They’re going to be mean right?”</p><p><em>Probably, and I'm here for it.</em> What? She loved a bit of cleverly crafted snark.</p><p>“I hope they’re not too harsh,” Hannah piped in.</p><p>“Well, I’m hyped!” Jess smiled at everyone.</p><p>Rocco nodded, “Gotta take it with a grain of salt.”</p><p>Jess high-fived Rocco, then smiled mischievously at him, “Got any secrets to share then babe? It’s all going to come out anyway…” <em>Hint, hint, have you kissed Marisol yet?</em></p><p>He winked at her, clearly having cottoned on, “Nope.”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hope looked at her phone, “Islanders, Hope and Lucas will be hosting today’s challenge. Each card will have a tweet on it, with the name’s blanked out. Each couple will write on their chalk boards who they think the tweet is about. You will get one point for every correct guess. There will be a prize for the winning couple #meantweets #publicopinon.”</p><p>Hope smiled at Lucas and they took their place at the front, while the rest of them sat down on tables in their couples. Jess pulled her chair close to Rocco and he put his arm around her, warm and comforting as it rest on her shoulders.</p><p>
  <em>Let's do this.</em>
</p><p>Lucas held up a large card with the tweet on it, and read it out to the group:</p><p><strong>@dreamypixelgirl | </strong> <strong>That guy _________ is like that jar of pickles in your nans cupboard that just won’t open up.</strong></p><p>Rocco whispered to her, “Ok, so not Bobby, probably not me, and not Gary, right?” <em>Duh.</em></p><p>“It’s Ibrahim,” she whispered back. She was pretty sure that she had even told him that he wasn’t very open, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Rocco nodded and wrote his name on the board.</p><p>“Right, turn over your boards,” Lucas directed. Very sexily Jess might add.</p><p>Everyone had voted for Ibrahim; even him and Lottie.</p><p>As he looked around at everyone’s boards, his face dropped, looking sullen. It must cut deep knowing everyone thinks that about you, regardless of how true it is, or if you know it.</p><p>“Don’t worry babes, it’s just because you look like a pickle,” Jess joked. Everyone started laughing and Ibrahim looked at her appreciatively before rolling his eyes playfully at her.</p><p>Lucas removed the sticker covering the name and announced everyone got a point.</p><p>Hope looked at the next card and laughed, “This one’s good,” she announced as she turned it over so they could all see:</p><p><strong>@darksoul | </strong> <strong>_______ is way too good for that asshole. When is he going to grow enough balls to dump that cow he’s with?</strong></p><p>Jess locked eyes with Lottie and gave her a half smile and shrug. <em>It’s kinda true.</em></p><p>“So, who do you -”</p><p>Jess cut him off by grabbing the chalkboard and writing Lottie’s name on it.</p><p>Rocco looked at her and whispered, “With who?”</p><p>Jess shook her head at him. So far, Jess’s date details haven’t come out, so she figured she could trust Lottie. To be fair, even if they had, she wasn’t one to spread gossip. Either way, she had Lottie’s back with this one.</p><p>Everyone turned their boards around and, seeing that she'd written her own name on her board, Gary glared daggers at Lottie, who just smirked back at him. Good for her.</p><p>Some of the Islanders had written Jess’s name, so she announced, “I’m too good for everyone, so that checks out,” and everyone chuckled, except Gary, who might have taken Lottie's insinuation a little harder than he should have. <em>It's just a fucking game dude.</em></p><p>Hope revealed that Lottie was the correct answer; her and Jess got the points. She could hear some of the couples murmuring about who the guy could be and Jess noticed that most of the girls were looking shifty at their partners.</p><p>Lucas smirked as he read the next one out:</p><p><strong>@giantcarrot | </strong> <strong>So we all agree right? _______ is the biggest player in the Villa.</strong></p><p>Everyone took their time answering this one. Her and Rocco were in the middle of a debate about if it was Hope or Gary when she looked over and caught Bobby’s eye. He winked at her and smirked. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he just laughed and went back to chatting with Marisol. <em>You little fucker.</em></p><p>Jess turned to Rocco, “Let’s put Bobby.”</p><p>He looked at her confused, “Why?”</p><p>“Because he’s the class clown, so the public probably suspect him of something. And he’s pretty close with a bunch of girls, me included. But the main reason is because it’ll be really funny to accuse him.”</p><p>Rocco chuckled, “Yeah, let’s do it.”</p><p>When everyone showed their answers, most of them had written Gary, and Gary had written Lucas. Jess waited till she caught Bobby’s eye before turning her board over and gave him a smug grin. He just raised his eyebrow and turned to see Lucas reveal the answer: Bobby.</p><p>Everyone gasped and looked at him, while he sat there grinning widely, playing up to their reactions. Jess couldn’t believe that she’d got it right, quickly high-fiving Rocco before turning back to the group.</p><p>“Oh, he’s definitely a player,” Jess smirked.</p><p>Bobby winked at her and tapped his nose. God, he was a hoot.</p><p>“Right, next one is…” Hope turned over the card:</p><p><strong>@cherrypie | </strong> <strong>_________ is so obviously just here to get material for her book.</strong></p><p>“Hannah,” Rocco and Jess said at the same time.</p><p>Everyone, except Hannah and Gary, got a point.</p><p>Lucas pulled out the next card and read it to the group:</p><p><strong>@mrmeme | </strong> <strong>When will _____ wake up and realise that _____ is just stringing her along?</strong></p><p>Rocco sucked in a breath, “I mean, it could be about us?”</p><p>Jess smiled at him, “If anyone’s stringing anyone here it’d be me.”</p><p>He laughed and nodded, “So who?”</p><p>They looked around the group, trying to work it out. Jess tried really hard to rack her brain for a clue over the last few days, but in the end, kind of couldn't be bothered and suggested they play rock, paper, scissors; landing on Priya &amp; Noah.</p><p>Hope looked absolutely fucking smug as Jess turned her board around. <em>Bitch.</em></p><p>Jess deliberately caught eyes with Priya and mouthed <em>'sorry'.</em></p><p>The others had all put different things and when Lucas revealed the names to be Priya and Noah, everyone went silent. <em>Oh shit.</em> Priya flinched and looked at her hands while Noah whispered something to her.</p><p>Hope picked up the next card. She instantly started cracking up laughing and read it out:</p><p><strong>@crackerjack | </strong> <strong>______ is blates just here waiting for the time he can get out his guitar and sing ‘Wonderwall’ again.</strong></p><p>Jess laughed and wrote Rocco. The night before he had put that song on and had sung along with it; really badly.</p><p>Everyone got the point and Rocco stood up, singing and dancing, which had everyone in fits of laughter.</p><p>Once they'd all calmed down, Lucas announced this was the last card. He frowned as he read the card and then looked up at Jess with an unreadable expression on his face. Possibly concern, maybe pity. Fuck. She was filled with a sense of dread; it was about her.</p><p>
  <em>Ok, it's cool, I can take it.</em>
</p><p>Hope looked over curiously, “What does it say, hun?”</p><p>Lucas cleared his throat and read it out.</p><p><strong>@chriswhite | </strong> <strong>You heard it here first, ______ is going to break hearts; it’s what she does best #heartless.</strong></p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Jess flinched as she read the handle name. Until six months ago, she’d had the ideal situation. Chris was fucking perfect – one of her best mates, he made her laugh, was smart, and it was all easy breezy fun. They’d been ‘together’ for a year, both happy with their arrangement of hanging out at the bar, playing pool with the group, and a few times a week there’d be late night booty calls. There was no pressure, no expectations and for a free spirit like Jess, it was exactly what she wanted, and he’d wanted it too. Until he didn’t. Jess cringed at the memory of him telling her he loved her. The. Worst.</p><p>She silently wrote her name on the board, avoiding the question in Rocco’s eyes. He gave her shoulder a surprisingly comforting squeeze as she stared in front of her, focusing on a spot just above Lucas's head. She didn't need him to reveal the answer; she knew she was right.</p><p>Her breathing quickened in her chest as the hurt swept through her. She couldn't fucking believe that he had clearly been talking shit about her to the media. Enough, at least, that Lucas was able to immediately know it was about her. Jesus. She could imagine the headlines now. Why would he do that?</p><p>She always thought that she didn’t care if she left the Villa. Now, she wanted to stay here forever. If she didn’t have to face <em>that</em> drama, it’d be worth it.</p><p>Everyone revealed their answer, and she could feel all eyes on her as they realised she'd written her own name. Pressing her lips together, she focused on ignoring them all as Lucas revealed the answer; she'd been right. <em>Shit.</em></p><p>“Are you OK?” Noah asked her carefully.</p><p>But before she could even answer, Hannah and Lottie jumped in.</p><p>“Why are you even here? You should just -”</p><p>“Whatever, this guy is clearly salty because -”</p><p>Jess looked at Lucas, cutting them both off, “Who won?”</p><p>He looked back, a bit surprised, then looked down to tally up the points. Looking back up, he shot her a bright smile, “You did.”</p><p>Rocco squeezed her shoulders and then read the text he had just received, “Our prize is ice lollies!”</p><p>“Great,” Jess deadpanned, stood up, and walked back towards the Villa, not waiting for anyone.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. This. Shit.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>***</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After the challenge, Jess felt like burning the Villa to the ground.</p><p>Obviously she knew that was a <em>touch</em> dramatic but that's how she felt right now ok?</p><p>Alright, well, maybe she felt a little like being dramatic.</p><p>She'd gone to the rooftop; sitting in the corner with her legs pulled up to her chest and her face buried in her arms, resting atop her knees. Fucking almost foetal position; not embarrassing at all.</p><p>Jess took a shaky breath, struggling to get hold of her feelings. She felt guilt for not loving Chris back, she felt sad for hurting him, she felt miserable that she probably would never love anyone ever again, and finally, she felt white-hot fury for Chris airing their dirty laundry publicly. Like she was the villain. <em>I never lied to him. He knew what we were.</em></p><p>She didn’t even know that she had actually started crying until she felt the tears dripping onto her arms. Fuck. It just get's worse. She hadn’t cried in such a long time; proud of her ability to control her emotions.</p><p>What the fuck was happening to her? Was it just the Villa, or had she finally gone insane? She wouldn't be surprised actually; she always wondered if she was slightly unhinged.</p><p>There was a knock on the door, and she heard Bobby’s voice cautiously say, “I saved yeh an ice lolly, seeing as yeh won them.”</p><p>
  <em>Don't let him see you cry.</em>
</p><p>She wiped her face on her arm before plastering a bright and happy smile on her face as she looked up. Big mistake. His face was so full of concern and care that she couldn’t hold it.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. No. Please don't.</em>
</p><p>But she couldn't stop it; her lip started wobbling uncontrollably and she put her head back down, trying desperately to stop another round of tears she didn’t even want to shed.</p><p>Bobby was there in an instant, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him so she had to break from hugging her legs, to hugging him. Against her better judgement, she let him. Covering her face with her hands and pressing into his chest as he stroked her back softly. His arms felt strong and safe as he held her; his touch soothing and electrifying at the same time; his cinnamon and sugary scent engulfing her like a warm comfort blanket. He was just so... calming. Her mind slowly quietening as she found the strength to hold back the tears.</p><p>Even if she were momentarily distracted by the thought that a lot of her skin was touching a lot of his skin. <em>Why did everyone have to be half-naked all day?</em></p><p>After a while, and feeling a little embarrassed now, she mumbled into her hands, “I’m not crying you know.”</p><p>He chuckled, “Yeh do what yah want. I just needed a hug. Like real bad.”</p><p>She laughed and moved her hands around his waist, mostly so she could talk properly, but also, a little because it felt nice to have his skin against hers, “Thanks Bobby.” <em>You have no idea how much I mean it.</em></p><p>“Nae,” he rest his chin on her head, “Yeh alright?”</p><p>She sighed, “Yeah, just, you know, I feel guilty.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“I dunno, hurting him, not loving him back, basically the whole thing,” she laughed, “<em>and</em> I’m super angry, like why would you say that, dickface?”</p><p>Suddenly Bobby shifted, grabbing something from the seat next to him, “Let’s eat these and talk about it,” he held up two ice lollies to her face.</p><p>She leaned back, moving away from him and eyed him suspiciously, “How’d you get one? Me and Rocco won!”</p><p>He laughed and tapped his nose. <em>God, just answer the question damn it.</em></p><p>Lifting his arm to rest on the back of the bench, he gestured for her to cuddle up next to him. <em>Glady.</em> She moved over and settled in, lifting her legs up to curl out beside her and she leant her side against Bobby, her head resting on his shoulder. Once they'd settled in, they opened their ice lollies and started eating.</p><p>“So, tell me the story,” Bobby said, and something about the way he said it, so casually, like he didn’t actually care, made her want to tell him about Chris.</p><p>She didn’t really talk to anyone about her relationships, not even her sister, so she was surprised about how much she wanted to open up to him, and, once she’d started; how easy it was. He didn’t judge her for anything she said, and she eventually told him the whole sordid story. Complete with a few jokes and funny anecdotes. She was surprised; she'd never before been able to laugh when she thought about Chris, instead only cringe and die a little inside. But Bobby made it so easy, so relaxed, so comfortable. She found herself not only opening up about Chris, but about her feelings. Honestly, she wasn’t an over-sharer normally. In fact, she hated getting too deep into feelings with anyone.</p><p>If she thought too hard about what she was saying to Bobby, she’d have been embarrassed. But she didn't overthink it. Instead, just let it be. It was... nice.</p><p>“I guess I purposefully choose people to be with that I know I’ll never love,” she mused.</p><p>“I get that, it’s like if yeh don’t love them, yeh can’t be hurt.”</p><p>“That’s exactly it! I know I should probably let it go and try but it’s hard you know? I struggle to open up to people, because what if they hurt me? I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to be in love again.”</p><p>Bobby went silent for a moment and she looked up at him to see his face scrunched up in thought, “I, uh, I dinnae think I’ve ever been un love.”</p><p>“Ever?”</p><p>“Maybe I have and didn’t knae it. I told yeh I tend tae have casual relationships. Well, sometimes it turned into girlfriends but… it tends to fade out… I guess I ne’er felt anything strong enough that I wanted to fight fer it…” he trailed off and she stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue, “One of my ex’s told me I didn’t fight fer her, that’s why we broke up. I felt so guilty. I stopped looking fer something serious after that.”</p><p>Jess felt a little pang in her chest. It hurt her to think of Bobby hurt. She wanted to wrap him up in bubble wrap and protect him from the world. Plus, she knew Bobby. Sure, it had only been four days, but she felt in her gut that something wasn't right about his story.</p><p>Slowly she said, “I didn’t fight for my ex...”</p><p>“Chris?”</p><p>“No, I mean the one that broke my heart. I found out that he’d cheated and I just… all my feelings died. I felt nothing. I left him 10 minutes after he told me. Packed up my stuff and walked out. No yelling, no screaming, no tears. Nothing.”</p><p>“Hmmm…” Bobby frowned to himself.</p><p>“So maybe… Maybe you did love her. But maybe something happened that killed your feelings. Sometimes it happens all at once, sometimes over time. All I’m saying is maybe it wasn’t all your fault.”</p><p>He looked at her then, “What do you mean?”</p><p>She shrugged, “I don’t know. I just don’t think you should be the only one to blame for why your relationship ended,” she reached out and thread her fingers through his, smiling up at him, “I know it’s super fucking weird because I’ve only known you for four days, but I find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t fight for something you loved.”</p><p>Bobby’s eyes drifted to the side as he thought about what she’d said. She couldn’t read what was going on in his head, but they stayed silent for a long while. When he looked back at her he smiled brightly at her and said, “I think yeh might be right.”</p><p>She grinned back at him, “Always am.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes and chuckled, “Humble too.”</p><p>“Hey, it’s not my fault that -”</p><p>Suddenly Marisol walked in, cutting her off. She seemed a little surprised to see them cuddled up together, but she smiled genuinely at Jess and told her that they got a text that the recoupling would be in an hour. <em>Oh shit. Forgot about that. Ugh. At least I can drown my sorrows in Lucas's lips later.</em></p><p>She jumped up and stretched her arms above her head, smiling at Bobby before she left, “I appreciate you Bee.”</p><p>He laughed, “Yer damn well better.”</p><p>She poked her tongue at him and went into the dressing room to get changed.</p><p>She kind of felt a little excited at the possibility of starting something with Lucas.</p><p>Maybe she might actually be able to let go of the past.</p><p>At the very least, she could try.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby was still plagued with indecision as he sat in the boys dressing room, already dressed, waiting for them to be ready. Marisol was a no-go, obviously. Hope? Fuck no. Hannah? Even bigger of a fuck no. Priya, he could deal with, but he was pretty sure Noah was going to pick her, and honestly, he didn’t want to lead her on. Lottie might have something with Gary but if not, might be his best choice. They were friends and there was no chance of it becoming awkward if either of them found someone else. He wanted her to be with someone, so if Gary was on the table, he was off. And that left him with Hope or Hannah. <em>Ugh, I’m fucking screwed</em>.</p><p>He was actively avoiding thinking about Jess. On the one hand he knew if they coupled up, they be the greatest friendship couple of all time. One hundred percent they’d take the Villa by storm. It would probably be pranks galore, now that he knew she’d help him. Plus, they just kind of clicked. On the other hand, he was physically attracted to her and that might spell disaster if they ever hooked up. Firstly, because he would definitely need to keep his options open, and that was a messy situation for his future girlfriend to walk in on. If she ever did walk into the Villa. Unlikely, but you never know. And secondly, because meaningless sex is what got him to the place in his life where he was single at 28, and on a fucking dating show. Well, and Big Jonno, but that’s beside the point. He also knew now that that’s why she was single too. Casual sex is off the table, for both of them. Therefore, Jess is a hard no.</p><p>Knowing all this, didn’t make it any easier for him to not seriously consider testing fate and coupling up with her anyway. Not for the sex; for the company. He honestly thought that if he had to choose to stay friends with her or Jonno, he’d push Jonno overboard in a heartbeat. For fuck’s sake, he’s only known the girl for four days and already he’d trade up best mates.</p><p>None of this mattered anyway, she had Rocco <em>and</em> Lucas, not to mention whoever else wanted her, so it was a moot point. Shit, he’d told himself he wasn’t going to think about her and that’s almost all he’s done.</p><p>Luckily, at that moment, Noah was there to interrupt his thoughts, “So… should we do some kind of sounding board? Let everyone know who we’re picking so there are no surprises?</p><p>Lucas immediately piped up, “Jess.” </p><p>Everyone turned to Rocco, who shrugged, “If she wants to be with you mate, it’s all good.” <em>Oh. Is Rocco not as into her as I thought? What?</em></p><p>Lucas looked at him smugly, “Oh she does. I kissed her and she loved it. She’s a passionate thing, isn’t she? Not that <em>you’d</em> know anything about that,” all the boys exchanged worried glances. Bobby was a little shocked as well to be honest. He didn’t think Jess would kiss Lucas and keep Rocco on a string... guess he didn’t know her that well after all.</p><p>Rocco, who Bobby had only ever seen as cool, calm and collected, look terrifying as he walked over to Lucas, “Fuck off you prick. I know for a <em>fact</em> that she wouldn’t have let you,” as he got closer Gary grabbed his shoulders, holding him back from stepping forward any further while Rocco continued yelling at him, “Don’t fucking stand there and spit lies about Jess. You don’t deserve her you piece of shit.”</p><p>The whole time Lucas stood there, with a smirk on his face. Even Bobby wanted to go and wipe it off his face. What a dick. He didn't have to rub it in.</p><p>“Calm down Rocco, just ignore him,” Noah told him, “It’s fine, let’s just… chill.”</p><p>Rocco glared at Lucas for a moment before turning away from him and pointedly going back to getting ready.</p><p>Gary piped up, “So uh, are you gonna go off if I say Jess too?”</p><p>Rocco looked at Gary, who was smiling and trying to hold back a laugh. Slowly, realising he was joking, Rocco started laughing and most of the boys joined in too.</p><p>When they’d calmed down, Gary said, “I was going to pick Lottie, but after the challenge, I don’t know if she wants to be with me anymore, so I might stick with Hannah… she um, wants to be with me so…” Most of them nodded in sympathy.</p><p>Noah piped up, “Priya.”</p><p>Ibrahim hesitantly said, “Marisol.”</p><p>Rocco looked at the golfer in surprise, glanced at Lucas, and shrugged. Everyone knew he wanted to pick Jess, so they didn’t really need to clarify his choice. <em>Shit, I hope their isn't too much drama tonight.</em></p><p>Bobby smiled at the group, “Guess I’m picking Lottie or Hope then!” <em>Definitely not Hope. Please, dear god.</em></p><p>Most of the boys finished getting ready and left to go wait at the firepit. Only Gary was left, and it had worked out perfectly because Bobby wanted to chat with him.</p><p>“Hey Gaz.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes, “Not you too.”</p><p>Bobby grinned at him, “Pick Lottie mate, yeh can work it out in yer couple. Don’t get in yeh head about it.”</p><p>Gary looked down, he actually looked really sad, “She basically told me she was too good for me and then she hasn’t talked to me, she’s been avoiding me. I like her you know, just can’t do the whole hot and cold thing. Hannah is always hot, so like, maybe the beast you know is better than the one you don’t.”</p><p>Bobby sighed, “Yer making a mistake.”</p><p>“Probably,” Gary laughed and clapped him on the back, “Let’s go mate.”</p><p>
  <em>You're a fucking idiot, Gary. But at least Lottie's an option now. Silver linings.</em>
</p><p>They joined the boys sitting at the firepit, all looking pretty nervous as they waited for the girls. Bobby looked up and smiled as he saw Jess excitedly walking over. She was wearing a tight, low cut, short, dark green dress. But the choker around her neck was what made it a bit of a turn on for Bobby. Chokers really got him going. She was wearing slightly more eye make-up than usual, a dark green shadow on her eyelids that made her look sultry, rather than the typical peppy look she usually had going for her. It was fucking hot. The other girls had also put a lot of effort into their looks and Bobby gulped as he took in everyone’s very sexy looks tonight. No matter how good the other’s looked, they couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering back to Jess. And her neck. Damn it.</p><p>As they lined up to stand in front of the boys, Jess between Marisol and Lottie, she beamed at them all. Bobby swore her smile was brighter than the fucking fire in between them. Jesus, a girl dresses in a skimpy dress and he’s all of a sudden obsessed with them? He shakes his head, laughing at how ridiculous it was.</p><p>Ibrahim’s phone goes off and he stands up, “I’m glad I get to go first. I want to couple up with this girl because she’s smart and sexy and I want to get to know her more. The girl I want to couple up with is… Marisol.”</p><p>Bobby sees Marisol and Jess exchange a look between them before she goes over to sit down with Ibrahim. Bobby was so busy trying to figure out what that look was that he hadn’t even noticed Gary was now standing up.</p><p>
  <em>Pick Lottie man. Come on.</em>
</p><p>“So, today has sucked but I guess I want to give this relationship a fair shot, so I want to couple up with Hannah,” Gary doesn’t sound at all excited about this, but Hannah squeals and runs over to throw herself in his arms. He grunts at her and they sit down. <em>Idiot.</em></p><p>Bobby looks at Lottie, trying to catch her eye but she was staring straight ahead, not giving anything away. Meanwhile, Jess is staring daggers at Gary, who is trying to avoid eye contact with her. Clearly, she’s pissed by this choice. Oof, Bobby’s glad he’s not on the receiving end of <em>that</em> look.</p><p>Next up is Rocco. He’s not looking at Jess and instead, is speaking directly to Lucas, “This girl is the best person I’ve ever met, and she deserves to be treated like a fucking princess.”</p><p>He smiles and turns to Jess, who gives him a confused look, “The girl I want to couple up with is... Jess.”</p><p>Bobby has never liked Rocco more than in this moment. Lucas is an absolute tosser. And Rocco’s right; Jess deserves better.</p><p>A look of surprise passes over Jess’s face for a split second and her eyes flicker briefly to Lucas. Just as quickly, she regains her composure, never one to let a bit of disappointment get in the way. She grins at Rocco, “Thanks babes,” and she runs up and gives him a bear hug, while Lucas scowls at them.</p><p>Bobby stands up, adding to the general applause after every round with his own very loud, pointedly enthusiastic, applause, making Lucas direct his scowl at him, which he returns with a shit-eating grin. He probably shouldn't rub it in, but fuck, winding Lucas up was starting to be rather enjoyable.</p><p>Turns out he didn't even need to sit back down; his phone vibrates with a message telling him he's next. Amazing. His decision was made the second Gary picked Hannah.</p><p>“This girl is an absolute fucking babe. She is funny, even though she tries to be serious and scary, she cares about her friends, though she won’t tell you she likes you, and she can apparently tell you the future. She’s yet to tell me mine, so I have to couple up with her to find out,” Lottie blushes and he winks at her, “I want to couple up with the wicked witch of the Villa… Lottie!”</p><p>He throws his arms out and she immediately runs towards him. As they hug, she whispers in his ear, “Thanks Bobby and I like you.”</p><p>He grins at her and, as they take their seats, he catches Jess’s eye and finds her smiling at him. Her eyes are sparkling, her whole face lit up with happiness and he can't lie, it makes him feel proud of himself. He winks at her and they both turn their attention to Lucas, who has just stood up.</p><p>Lucas grumbles up to his feet. <em>Man, that guy is a sore loser.</em></p><p>“Well the girl I wanted, and who wanted me has been taken” he looks pointedly and Jess and Rocco and they just smile back at him, Rocco looking smug, and Jess a little less bright than a few seconds ago but still refusing to take his bait, “So I guess I want to couple up with this girl because she looks really hot tonight. So… Priya.”</p><p>Priya’s face falls and she looks at Noah, who looks just as devastated by the news. Hope however, is grinning at Lucas and she gives Priya a little push to walk over to him. Priya reaches Lucas and gives him an awkward hug before they sit down.</p><p>Noah stands up, “Er… I got to know this girl at the start of our journey here, so now let’s continue our journey together. I want to couple up with Hope.”</p><p>Hope claps and jumps up, then runs over to Noah and gives him a sloppy kiss. Priya looks away.</p><p>“I’m so glad we’re all happily coupled up now!” Hope tells the group as she cuddles up to Noah, one hand on his chest.</p><p>“Me too!” shouts Hannah.</p><p>Everyone else nods politely. This is shit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess’s head hurt. She’d just had an argument with Rocco about why he picked her. Not a screaming match, that wasn’t her vibe, more like a tense discussion. He’d said that Lucas was a wanker and she’d said that he should have stayed out of her love life. She hadn’t meant to be so harsh with him, she really likes him, but honestly, he had no right determining who she should and shouldn’t be with. She didn’t need him to fight her battles for her. She likes Lucas and just because the boys didn’t, well, it didn’t make a fuck tonne of difference to her. She told Rocco she was going to be with Lucas, and this was his official notice; she was going to crack on.</p><p>She was angry when she’d said it though, and now she’d calmed down, lying on the day beds in the quiet of the Villa, she didn’t really mean it. Part of her felt like she would have to close the loop with Rocco before she could actually crack on. Because Marisol was with Ibrahim, and Rocco didn’t have any other options. She wasn’t going to hang him out to dry, leaving him at risk at the next recoupling, just because she was mad at him. And there’s the fact that Lucas is with Priya. She wouldn’t do that to her. Ugh, his half-hearted speech made her want to punch him. He could have just sacked up, Jesus.</p><p>As if her thoughts had conjured him up, she felt a movement on the bed next to her and looked up to see Lucas.</p><p>She smiled at him and sat up, “Hey handsome.”</p><p>He took her hand, “Hi beautiful.”</p><p>“So… fucked up recoupling, right?” she laughed</p><p>He frowned, clearly still angry about it, “Yeah, I can’t believe Rocco did -”</p><p>Jess held her free hand up to cut him off, “Don’t. He’s still my friend and I support his decisions.”</p><p>He scowled and dropped her hand, “You can’t be serious?”</p><p>“I am. That’s me. Take it or leave it Lucas.”</p><p>They stared at each other for a few moments. He was searching her face, trying to figure out how serious she was and therefore how much he leeway he had. The answer was clear from the look she was giving him back; absolutely nothing. <em>There is no wiggle room here Lucas.</em></p><p>He sighed and took her hand, changing his expression to be smouldering, “I’ll always want you,” She knew it was a line, but it still sent a shiver down her back, “I told Priya I wasn’t interested.”</p><p>
  <em>Jesus. I hope he wasn't as much of a dick about it as he was about picking her in the first place.</em>
</p><p>“Was she mad?”</p><p>He laughed at the memory, “Yeah, she was annoyed,” he shrugged, “She said she has her eye on someone anyway, so I guess it worked out.”</p><p>“Noah?”</p><p>“Nope. She said, and I quote, <em>‘I’m done with that flaky ass’</em>,” he chuckled as he said it. Jess loved it; good for her.</p><p>“Oh, I wonder who…”</p><p>Lucas leaned in close, stroking her face with his hand, “<em>I</em> only want to know who you’re interested in.”</p><p>She looked down at his lips then back to his eyes. Fuck, she wanted to kiss him. <em>Stupid Rocco.</em> “You.”</p><p>He gave her a smug look and leaned his face in closer, their lips almost touching. <em>Stupid, stupid Rocco.</em></p><p>She put her hands on his chest to push him back a little, “I still can’t.”</p><p>“Why not, just tell him you’re going to, isn’t that the deal you made?” he groaned.</p><p>“It’s more complicated than that. I can’t risk leaving Rocco to the mercy of the Villa. You know this.”</p><p>He sighed and dropped his head, moving back away from her, “I guess this is why I like you,” he gestured to all of her.</p><p>She smiled and raised her eyebrow, “Because of my hot bod?”</p><p>He laughed and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her to sit across his lap. She was surprised enough to squeal and laugh, and they pressed their foreheads together as they caught their breath.</p><p>“Because of your loyalty, even when it doesn’t work in my favour.”</p><p>She kissed him on the cheek, and went to stand up, shimming herself off his lap, taking care to slowly grind her ass into him as she did. <em>Yup, he’s definitely into me.</em></p><p>He looked up at her from his lashes, his eyes burning with desire and he practically growled at her, “Did you have to wear such a sexy dress?”</p><p>She laughed and pulled him to his feet, “Yup!” she dragged her behind him as she walked back to the Villa, “Time for bed.”</p><p>“Oh? Is that an invite?”</p><p>She giggled, “Not tonight.”</p><p>Once in the dressing room she put on her pyjamas; a loose crop singlet and high-waisted shorts, this time in pink with white polka dots. She had packed seven pairs of the same pj’s, all in different pastel colours. They were comfy and not revealing or sex’, therefore, her favourite. Her sister had packed her a full range of lingerie to wear but she had worn her cotton sets every day because she didn’t think she needed to dress up like that just so a bunch of gross dudes could ogle her. She would only wear the other outfits when <span class="u">she</span> wanted to feel sexy. Not when <em>they</em> wanted her to. She knew they ogled her all day anyway, and though she did like the ego trip, lingerie felt personal, intimate. She kind of imagined only wearing it for someone she was going to have sex with. No one fit that bill yet. Not even Lucas.</p><p>In the bathroom, while brushing her teeth, Hope had walked in and told her that apparently her and Noah had already done bits that night. <em>Wow, he moved back to that fast</em>. She couldn’t help but hope Priya was able to do the same.</p><p>When she jumped into bed, Rocco gave her a small smile. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, “I’m sorry, we’re all good babes.”</p><p>He smiled at her warmly and pulled her in for their normal platonic cuddle, “I’m sorry too.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. You ruined my proposal, dick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jess &amp; Lottie go on a date. Plot twist! It's now a MC/Lottie fic. Jk. Maybe...</p><p>Then... ok, how to be coy about this... kissing, engagements and, er, pies. Yeah, that works right? Mysterious? Intriguing? (Seriously, someone needs to stop me writing summaries)</p><p>Lastly, is Rocco in Jess's trap??? Lol, no.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess woke up to the sound of her phone going off. Again. She hoped this didn’t become a regular thing. She didn’t like it at all.</p><p>Groaning quietly, she pushed Rocco’s arm off her so she could roll over and check her message, “Jess, you and Lottie are going on a date. Please be ready to leave the Villa in one hour. Do not wake the other Islanders. #threesome #breakfastdate.”</p><p>She started at the phone for a moment. What? Her and Lottie are going on a date? That’s so fucking random. They were polar opposites. She heard a noise and squinted her eyes in the darkness to see Lottie was sitting up in the bed next to her, Bobby still asleep, facing towards Jess.</p><p>Jess gave her a <em>‘what the fuck’</em> look and Lottie shrugged and signalled for them to go upstairs. Lottie jumped out of bed and tiptoed across the room. Jess lay back for a moment, clearing the sleep from her eyes, before she rolled over again to get out of the bed.</p><p>As she moved, she accidentally flung her arm out and sent the water bottle on the nightstand flying into Bobby’s forehead.</p><p>“Wha –”</p><p>Jess immediately leapt over and covered his mouth with her hand, signalling for him to be quiet.</p><p>He put his hand to his forehead and groaned, rubbing the spot where the water bottle had smacked him. Jess had to cover her own mouth with her spare hand to keep from laughing too loudly. She didn’t mean to laugh, but his face was hilarious. Eventually he opened his eyes back up, glaring at her silent laughter before nodding that he understood they had to be quiet. She slowly moved her hand away from his mouth.</p><p>“What the fuck are yeh doing?” he whispered, his voice still groggy from sleep.</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” she paused to giggle quietly and he glared at her, but she could tell that he was also a bit amused, “I didn’t mean to, I was just getting up…”</p><p>“So yeh thought ye’d wake me up too?”</p><p>“No, no, I promise, I -” she stopped, overtaken with more quiet laughing. Jess was now sitting on the floor, in between her and his bed, quite literally rolling on the floor with laughter.</p><p>He chuckled under his breath, leaning up on one arm as he waited for her to be done.</p><p>She eventually slumped back against the side of her bed, breathing deeply. Laughing silently is so much more of a workout than laughing normally.</p><p>“I’m sorry – I just keep – picturing your face – when you woke up – and what my face must have – Oh shit, that was funny,” she whispered through her breaths, clutching her side.</p><p>Bobby smiled down at her, looking the cutest she’s ever seen him look. His eyes were still sleepy, from having been rudely awakened, his dreads were pushed out at odd angles and his smile was lazy and dreamy. More than any of that, he was looking at her like she was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. Her heart fluttered for a split second and she was taken aback by it.</p><p>“Yeh still haven’t told me why yer up Lass,” he prompted softly.</p><p>“Oh shit,” she slapped her forehead with her hand, still trying to whisper, “I have a date.”</p><p>He raised his eyebrow at her.</p><p>“Yeah, with Lottie.”</p><p>He laughed quietly and looked at her like she should be serious.</p><p>She pointed to the other side of his bed and he looked over his shoulder, saw she wasn’t there, and turned around to look at her again, a curious expression on his face, “At least Lottie dinnae biff me one.”</p><p>“Har har.”</p><p>“So do yeh know who with?”</p><p>Jess smirked at him, “Lottie, obviously. She’s definitely into me.”</p><p>He chuckled at that and rolled his eyes.</p><p>“I dunno, none of the boys are up, so probably a new Islander.”</p><p>“Woooow, I should call yeh Sherlock.”</p><p>“Shut up smartass, you asked,” she giggled quietly for a bit.</p><p>He yawned and lay back down on his side, still smiling at her but his eyes were drifting shut slowly, “Yer cute in the mornings when yer not grumpy,” he mumbled slowly.</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him, “Oh ok then Casanova.”</p><p>He chuckled under his breath as she got to her feet.</p><p>“See ya. Sorry again.”</p><p>“Have fun, Lass,” he whispered through a yawn.</p><p>She tiptoed through the bedroom, went upstairs, and had a quick five-minute shower.</p><p>Going from the quiet whispering in the bedroom, she got a massive shock when she walked into the dressing room to find Lottie wrapped in a towel and in full panic mode. Fucking hell, she was not prepared for this.</p><p>“There you are! Jesus Christ Jess!”</p><p>“What? Why are you freaking out?”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, “Oh, because I stubbed my toe, you idiot,” she said sarcastically, “Because we have a date!”</p><p>Jess shrugged, grabbing the first bikini she could see. This one was red with a halter neck top covered in tassels, “So?”</p><p>“So, Jess. I’m basically single and have no prospects thanks to Gary being a wanker.”</p><p>“But didn’t you couple up with Bobby yesterday?”</p><p>“Oh for fucks –” Lottie threw her arms in the air, “Bobby is like my brother. Now can you just focus? What am I wearing?”</p><p>She held up two bathing suits and Jess pointed to the skimpiest looking one.</p><p>“Go with that one. I’m wearing this,” she gestured to the bikini in her hand, “I’ll be all covered, and you’ll be on show. He won’t be able to take his eyes off you!”</p><p>She genuinely smiled at Jess and muttered a, “Thanks,” under her breath before heading to the changing area. Jess did the same and put on her bikini. When she was done, she put a red lip on to match the outfit and some mascara.</p><p>When Lottie walked out of the changing room Jess wolf whistled at her, “God damn!”</p><p>She looked absolutely stunning and Jess was right, it was <em>alllll</em> on show.</p><p>Lottie blushed and shushed her. Jess sat down in the chair next to her, watching Lottie finish her makeup.</p><p>She sighed, “I’m really sorry about Gaz, he’s an ass.”</p><p>Lottie gave her a small smile in the mirror, “Yeah, I guess I shouldn’t have ignored him all day. That boy is real insecure.”</p><p>Jess laughed, “So let’s forget about him. You’re going out to bag yourself a man!”</p><p>Once they were ready, they went downstairs and got into the car that was waiting for them. They drove a short distance to a beach, where there was a table covered in food and a gorgeous man waiting in one of the three chairs. Holy shit, if Jess thought Rocco had a surfer vibe, she was wrong. His guy was all broad chest, muscles, and glistening skin. He had long blonde hair and he looked perfectly matched to the beach back drop. The sun was just rising behind him, so he literally looked like a god. He was super sexy. And hot. And gorgeous.</p><p>Jess was drooling, but she pulled her shit together, she needed to commence Operation Get-Lottie-A-Man. Not the most original name, but it was really early so, give her a break.</p><p>The guy stood up, beaming and waving a friendly smile at them. Oh shit, add adorable to the list. No wait, don’t. There’s no list.</p><p>“Hi ladies! I’m so happy you came!”</p><p>Jess let out a giggle, “I mean, we couldn’t exactly say no.”</p><p>Lottie elbowed her and battered her eyelashes at the new guy, “And we definitely wouldn’t have said no to you!”</p><p>
  <em>Damn ok, Lottie came here to flirt, noted.</em>
</p><p>“I’m Henrik, it’s great to meet you both!”</p><p>Lottie smiled at him, “And you,” they both stared at each other for a bit.</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes and looked at the table, “Oh! Coffee, great!” She plopped herself down and poured herself a cup.</p><p>Once they were all seated, they chatted a bit about their lives. Henrik told them that he was climbing instructor, explains the bod, and he’s super into outdoors activities. He was actually pretty adorable, not great at flirting, but he was definitely funny and had some great stories. Especially one about him befriending a puppy that turned out to be a wolf, or the time he got caught out naked in public. Actually, that story had Jess briefly wondering what he looked like naked. All three of them ended up getting along great – there wasn’t a dull moment as they laughed and told stupid stories. Jess kept the flirting to a minimum and she noticed the flirty exchanges and looks between him and Lottie.</p><p>All too soon, not that Jess actually minded at all, they got the signal that the date was over.</p><p>“Are you excited to go into the Villa?” Jess asked Henrik as they got out of the car.</p><p>He grinned, “Hell yes!” he slung his arms around both of them as they walked, “Especially now I know the two hottest babes in the Villa.”</p><p>Lottie blushed and lightly swatted at his chest, “That was so smooth.” <em>Was it?</em></p><p>As they walked in, all the Islanders got up and came running towards them. Jess grinned and yelled out, “We brought home a stray!” and then laughed and got out of the way as everyone greeted Henrik.</p><p>Suddenly, Priya yelled out, “I got a text,” everyone turned to look at her, “Islanders, it’s time for your favourite game: Snog, Marry, Pie #whowillbepiedoff.”</p><p>Everyone erupted into cheers as they ran towards the challenge area. Lucas ran up to Jess, putting a hand in the small of her back and leaned in, his lips touching her ears and sending goosebumps across her skin, “You’re kissing me,” he pulled back with a smug grin on his face.</p><p>Jess couldn’t help but smile back at him. She gave him a wink and ran off with the others.</p><p>
  <em>God, he is so fucking hot.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The boys were up first and it’s fair to say they were all stoked about this. Bobby was less excited. He watched as the girls lined up in front of the boys. A table with large plastic rings, and paper plates filled with whipped cream, sat off to the side.</p><p>They were told they had to announce to the group why they were picking each person they did. Bobby scanned the girls, trying to figure out what he was going to do. He was coming up blank for all of them. Ok, maybe not the pie. He had that one plated and ready to go.</p><p>Noah got a text to say he was up first. Bobby did not envy that guy. Noah picked up a ring and walked over to Jess and bent down on one knee “I want to marry Jess because she’s always challenging me, and I need that in my life”</p><p>Jess grinned at him and very formally said, “I accept.”</p><p>Once he put the ring on her she ran out from the line and did a little dance for the girls screaming, “I’m engaged!!!” all the girls cheered and she walked back in line. Bobby chuckled at her display and wondered if she’d be that excited every time someone picked her. Probably, knowing Jess.</p><p>Noah said, “I’m going to kiss this girl because we’re in a couple.” <em>What a declaration of love mate</em>. Then walked over and briefly kissed Hope on the lips, before pieing Hannah in the face, “That’s for making me listen to your story about Mr Darcy.” Shit, Bobby didn’t think Noah had it in him. Hannah wiped the cream out of her eyes and glared at him.</p><p>Henrik was up next, “I want to kiss this girl because I heard she was the best kisser in the Villa,” and promptly walked over to Jess and kissed her. It didn’t last too long but he turned around to the boys and said, “Confirmed!” while Jess rolled her eyes, clearly amused.</p><p>He grabbed a ring and proposed to Lottie because he wanted to get to know her more, and her and Jess bounced around on the spot showing their rings to each other. Henrik grabbed a pie and said he didn’t know anyone well enough yet, but Hope had a pie-able face, so he pied her. Bobby wondered if he’d seen something in the previous episodes.</p><p>Next was Lucas. He walked straight over to Jess, no hesitation, and told everyone he wanted to be with her. Bobby rolled his eyes at that; he was a tool. Their kiss lasted a lot longer than Henrik’s one, but it wasn’t an awkward amount of time. When he pulled away Jess was smiling but not giving anything away. Lucas married Hannah because he thought she was sweet, and pied Marisol because she tried to dissect his psyche. Bobby laughed at that one, she’d done it to him on multiple occasions.</p><p>Gary walked up to Lottie and said, “I want to kiss this girl because she’s flames and I’m sorry,” and they shared a long kiss. Hannah was understandably angry, but immediately calmed down when Gary got the ring. She put her hand out, waiting for him to propose.</p><p>Gary announced, “I want to marry this girl because she is funny, keeps me on my toes and honestly, she scares me a little,” and then got down in front of Jess. Hannah’s face was fucking priceless. Bobby made note to screenshot that moment when he watched it back.</p><p>“Awwww Gaz! It’s so big!” Jess winked at him and laughed at her own joke.</p><p>Gary laughed too and said, “Trust me, that’s what they all say.”</p><p>They hugged and he grabbed the pie. He pied Hannah and said it was because she tried to feed him avocados. Everyone grimaced as Hannah yelled and screamed for a good five minutes. There was going to be drama later for sure.</p><p>When Gary walked back to the boys, he was rubbing his neck awkwardly and looking sheepish.</p><p>“Come on lad, yeh had to knae that was going to end badly,” Bobby told him.</p><p>“Yeah, I didn’t think it all the way through,” he sighed.</p><p>Ibrahim grabbed the pie straight away and pied Jess, telling her that he loved her really, but she called him a pickle, so his hands were tied. Jess didn’t even put her hands up to stop it, just stood there and took it. She laughed and wiped it out of her eyes. Then she put one cream covered finger in her mouth, sucked on it, and pulled it out as if she was moving in slow motion, “Yum,” she announced with a wink. All the boys gave nervous chuckles, probably because she looked fucking hot doing it. Even Bobby wanted to ask her to do it again.</p><p>Ibrahim kissed Priya because he had always wanted to. All the girls exchanged looks and Marisol looked a little miffed by that. He then proposed to Marisol saying that she could challenge him.</p><p>Rocco’s stepped forward next and grabbed the ring, “When I first met this girl, she suggested I had never had a serious relationship. Today, in front of everyone gathered here, I want to ask her to be my one and only!” The boys laughed, knowing he was talking about Jess, but obviously the girls weren’t there for that conversation. Jess grinned at him as he put the ring on her finger and kissed him on the cheek, whispering something in his ear.</p><p>Rocco then pied Hannah in the face because she was annoying and announced that the girl he wanted to kiss was sexy and intelligent and he wanted to get to know her more. Everyone stood in shocked silence as he walked over to Marisol and kissed her. Sloppily. For a really long time.</p><p>Bobby looked at Jess, but she just stood there smiling, like nothing was wrong. He saw Lottie lean over and say something to her, but she just shrugged in response, her smile never faltering. Did she know this was a thing? Maybe she just had a good poker face. When Rocco had finished his hard core make out session, he walked back to the boys and Bobby swore he saw Jess wink at him. Huh.</p><p>Bobby was finally lucky last. He walked over and said, “I’m ginnae kiss this girl because she tastes like cherry Chapstick,” and gave Lottie a quick peck on the lips, after which she pushed him. To be fair, he only picked her because he kind of didn’t want to kiss anyone and knew he could get away with a quick kiss from her.</p><p>He grabbed the pie and threw it straight into Hope's face, announcing to the Villa that he <em>'had Priya's back'</em>. He had spent most of last night comforting her about that whole situation. If he were honest, he'd want to pie Noah for leading her on, but sadly that wasn't an option today.</p><p>On to happier things, his imminent engagement. </p><p>“This girl is already engaged but she’ll soon forget about all em other boys” He looked Jess in the eyes and she rolled her eyes at him, “She is the coolest chick in the Villa and if she weren’t here, this place would be a bore,” he put on a ring announcers voice, cupping his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Yer all know her, yer all love her, it’s Jeeeeesssss Miiiilllleeerrrr!!” He walked over to where she was bent over laughing.</p><p>Everyone cheered as she stood up straight and he bent to his knees in front of her, looking into her smiling face. She looked adorable, with traces of whipped cream still on her face and in her hair, her eyes sparkling in the sun. He was stunned for a moment at the way she was looking at him, it felt like he was the only person in the world, and she would follow him to the end of it.</p><p>She whispered, “You’re a fucking dork.”</p><p>He shrugged, “Yer’ll still say yes though.”</p><p>She grinned even wider, “Yeah, I will.”</p><p>As he was putting the ring on her finger she reached up and grabbed some whipped cream that was still on her shoulder and wiped it on his nose, “Boop!” she announced, looking at him with a smug grin. Fuck, he was really regretting starting the Boops War. He was going to have to step up his game.</p><p>Jess had ran off, skipping around the challenge area with her multiple rings on singing, “I’m getting married, I’m getting married!” she stopped and pointed at each one of the girls, “And you can be my bridesmaid, and you can be my bridesmaid, everyone can be my bridesmaid!”</p><p>Gary yelled out, “I’m taking my ring back Jess.”</p><p>She danced in front of him, “Too late. You <em>looovvveeee</em> me.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After the high of getting engaged four times in the space of 30 minutes, Jess was still feeling a little giddy as she waited for her turn to choose which boy she wanted to snog, marry, or pie.</p><p>Priya went first “This boy kissed me because he wants to get to know me better, now I’m kissing him because I want the same” and walked up and pashed Ibrahim. Jess was feeling a little excited about this new development. If they got together, that freed up Marisol to be with Rocco, which meant her and Lucas could be together.</p><p>Priya pied Noah because he’d pied her off for Hope. Awkward. And married Bobby because he was an amazing guy. Very cute.</p><p>Lottie was next up, and she said, “I may or may not give this guy a second chance, but either way I want to kiss him,” then walked up to Gary and snogged his fucking face off. Jess was impressed. Hannah? Not so much. She was seething.</p><p>Lottie picked up the pie and said, “This guy is like my brother, but chose me to kiss before so…” and then pied Bobby in the face. Bobby grabbed the pie from her hands once she’d let it go and smashed the rest of it in her face while she screamed.</p><p>Once they’d stopped fighting, Lottie walked over to Henrik with the ring and said, “Thanks for the lovely date this morning,” and put the ring on his finger while he stood there blushing. It was adorable. She wasn’t sure who she shipped more to be fair. Lottie and Gary or Lottie and Henrik.</p><p>Hannah went next, grabbing the pie and throwing it in Gary’s face, basically just calling him a whole bunch of names while she did.</p><p>Hannah then tried to kiss Bobby, who dodged immediately, and everyone laughed. She then wanted another go and smirked back at Jess before calling Lucas the hottest guy and kissing him. Their kiss lasted longer than was needed but Jess just rolled her eyes. She wasn’t into Lucas enough to give a shit. Hannah married Noah because he made her best friend so happy. <em>Gag me now.</em></p><p>Marisol was up next, and no surprises but she went straight up to Rocco and said simply, “I want to be with this guy,” and they shared another long, passionate kiss, while everyone stared at Jess. </p><p>Marisol married Bobby because he was such a good friend to her and pied Gary in the face saying, “Even though it wasn’t your fault, this is for breakfast-gate,” she smiled warmly at Jess as she walked back and Jess gave her a high-five.</p><p>Jess honestly zoned out of Hope’s speech about true love finding a way and blah blah. Long story short, she kissed Noah and then made another weird speech about marrying Ibrahim because he was really kind. Jess thought it might have been to piss Priya off.</p><p>Hope announced that she was pieing Lucas because, “He’s too hot for his own good.” He looked absolutely pissed as she walked up to him and after she’d hit him with the pie, he angrily threw it to the ground and stomped as he tried to get it off his face. Jesus, he really needed to take a chill pill. It was just a game. He stood there glaring angrily at Hope, arms folded over his chest. Note to self, don’t pie Lucas.</p><p>After she was called up, she debated doing it anyway, just for a laugh, but dismissed the thought; she knew exactly who she wanted to pie. And, if she was being honest, she really wanted to kiss him again. Their kiss before was really sweet and tender. She wanted more of that please.</p><p>She grabbed the ring from the table and stood in front of the boys, “So, the temptation to pie this boy was so fucking strong. Like, I really really <em>really</em> wanted to,” she paused and the boys all chuckled, “Anyway, I hope this boy marries me because he is my absolute favourite, no offense to you other plebs,” she smiled at Bobby and he grinned back at her like an idiot. She walked over and got down on one knee in front of him.</p><p>She put one hand on her heart and very dramatically started saying, “Marry me Bobby, oh love of my life, keeper of my secrets, spirit animal of-”</p><p>He cut her off, “Shut the fuck up, Lass,” he grabbed the ring off her, put it on his finger and showed it off to all the boys, “Look, it matches meh eyes!” he said as he fluttered his eyelashes.</p><p>Jess laughed and got to her feet, giving him a playful shove, “You ruined my proposal, dick.”</p><p>“We’ve only just got engaged and already yeh calling me names and beating meh up!” He clutched his chest, pretending to be insulted.</p><p>“And just think…” she put both hands on her chest and batted her eyelashes at him, “You’ve got a lifetime of this to look forward to.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes and she skipped off to grab a pie. She smirked as she turned around and looked Gary directly in the eyes. He looked a little scared and a bit guilty. Good. He should. She slowly walked towards him, taking her time, letting it drag out.</p><p>He started saying, “Jess! You can’t pie off someone you just agreed to–” He cut himself off when gave him an incredulous look. <em>Are you kidding Gaz?</em></p><p>Gary instantly gave her a cheeky, apologetic smile, “I just–”</p><p>She held a finger up to cut him off and stopped in front of him, “You know why.”</p><p>“I swear I–”</p><p>She cut him off again, this time by slamming the pie into his face, while his mouth was open. He groaned and spat out the cream from his mouth while all the boys laughed.</p><p>He was coughing and spluttering, “Jesus Christ.”</p><p>She waited until he’d stopped and looked at her, then she flashed him a giant, shit-eating grin and he glared back. She giggled and skipped happily over to Lucas.</p><p>“Hi,” she said as she stopped in front of him.</p><p>He stopped glaring at Hope (yes, he was still doing that) and looked down at her, smiling smugly. In that moment part of her wanted to turn and kiss someone else, just to wipe the smile from his face. But she stayed anyway, putting her arms around his shoulders, and running her fingertips softly up and down the back of his neck.</p><p>He smirked at her before wrapping his arms around her waist, bending down and very unceremoniously crashing his lips against hers. She was shocked by the move and it took her a second to start kissing him back. Once she did though, it was all fire and passion, nothing at all like the sweet kiss that they’d shared before. He pulled her tight against him and moaned as their tongues touched. It was rough and Jess fucking loved it. For all of five seconds.</p><p>She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed back to break the kiss, very much aware this was a challenge and not wanting to be the awkward couple who kissed for far too long and far too passionately. Yeah, some of the others had already done that, but it wasn't her. He grunted, clearly disappointed by her move to cut it short, so she leant back up, planted a quick peck on his lips before stepping back.</p><p>She smiled at the rest of the boys, looked down at her rings and said, “So, do we start wedding planning now or…?” They all chuckled in response.</p><p>Hope yelled out, “You didn’t give us a reason Jess.”</p><p>Jess shrugged, “Because I wanted to.”</p><p>Hannah stormed across the arena yelling, “Gary! We need to talk NOW!” and grabbed his arm, dragging him back towards the Villa. He shot Jess a <em>‘help me’</em> look and she gave him a small, sympathetic smile.</p><p>Priya smiled as the girls gathered in a group, the boys standing in their own group to the side, “I guess we might all have to have a few conversations after that.”</p><p>Hope looked at Jess, “Yeah hun, you probably want to talk to Rocco. He pied you off babes,” she glared at Marisol, “And you aren’t any better.”</p><p>Jess shrugged in response.</p><p>Marisol put her arm on Jess’s shoulder and said quietly, “We should talk.”</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes, “It’s not like Jess doesn’t have her own thing going on with Lucas.”</p><p>Hope smiled at Priya, “How do you feel about that Priya?”</p><p>Priya looked confused, “Well actually–”</p><p>Marisol cut her off, “Yeah but she was going after Ibrahim anyway.”</p><p>Jess sighed, “Can we not argue about this? Look, I think we need to have some conversations, but it was a challenge and–”</p><p>Hope cut her off, “That’s no excuse to get it off with someone who isn’t your partner.”</p><p>“No, you’re right,” Jess shrugged, “Can we all agree to at least talk to each other from now on, that way there are no surprises later and no one is upset?”</p><p>Hope looked down at her hands, “I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with, but I’d really like that. I don’t want to be the Villa Villain.”</p><p>Jess smiled at her. It would actually be nice if all the girls got along.</p><p>Lottie piped up, “So, girls first? We become a team, right?”</p><p>Everyone nodded and Lottie put her hands in the middle. They all joined in and Marisol said, “To girls group?”</p><p>“Women Warriors?” Lottie suggested.</p><p>“Tempting Twats?” Jess laughed.</p><p>“Femme Fatales?” Priya giggled.</p><p>“Seducing Sluts?” Hope piped in.</p><p>The girls had all been steadily giggling more and more with each suggestion and the dam finally broke – all of them all burst into laughter.</p><p>“Bosom Buddies?” Jess suggested, through giggles.</p><p>“Actually, I kind of like that,” Marisol said.</p><p>“Same,” Lottie seconded.</p><p>“Done. Bosom Buddies,” Priya laughed.</p><p>“Bosom Buddies,” they all said and lifted their hands in the air.</p><p>“Let’s go to the pool, it’s fucking hot,” Hope suggested, and they all started walking back, not waiting for the boys to finish up whatever they were doing.</p><p>“Wait, why did we do the whole sports ‘team break’ thing? Is anyone into sports?” Marisol asked. They all shook their heads and burst into laughter again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby was lying on the grass, with the boys, basking in the Spanish sun and trying to dry off a little. After the challenge, the girls had gone to cool off in the pool and everyone had all joined them. Well, everyone except Hannah, who, after very loudly breaking up with Gary, was still hidden in the Villa somewhere by herself. Jess and Bobby had started a game of pool chicken, which had everyone on each other’s shoulders, trying to topple each other into the water, laughing and trash talking as they went. It was pure wholesome Villa fun, and exactly what they’d needed after a bit of drama in the challenge.</p><p>The only one who didn’t join in as much as the rest of them was Lucas. Bobby tried really hard to be happy for Jess, but honestly, he just didn’t see it. She was loud and spontaneous, and he was, well a complete and utter douche. Rocco had told him that he’d tried to warn Jess the other day and she’d basically told him to fuck off. Bobby had laughed at the time; it was exactly what he’d expect her to say. But still, he really didn’t like that this guy was getting away with being a prick, and she was basically letting him. Why? Because he was hot?</p><p>Henrik seemed to be getting along with everyone, it probably helped that he went on a date earlier. Jess and Lottie seemed to both have gotten on well with him and Jess had, since day one, been great at being sure to include the newbies.</p><p>Lucas was the one to break the silence, “So… I’m not the only one who isn’t happy in their couple right?”</p><p>Gary barked a laugh, “Pretty sure you all heard me and Hannah’s epic break up.”</p><p>Henrik patted Gary on the shoulder, “You alright man?”</p><p>Gary shrugged, “Yeah.”</p><p>Noah piped up, “Well… I think I’m happy with Hope. We talked last night and we’re going to make it work.”</p><p>Gary smirked, “Oh yeah, I heard your <em>‘make-up’</em>.”</p><p>Noah blushed and looked at the ground.</p><p>Rocco laughed sadly, “So everyone except Noah is unhappy?”</p><p>“Mate. What’s up with you and Jess? I thought you were solid?” Gary asked, raising his eyebrow.</p><p>Rocco laughed, “Nah man, we were never going to be anything.”</p><p>“But you’re always hugging and kissing…” Ibrahim trailed off</p><p>“Because we’re both affectionate people. Friends can–”</p><p>Lucas cut him off, “Well I don’t like it. Me and Jess want to be together and not only did you make sure that we couldn’t, but you’re still going around, hands all over her. It’s time you back off.”</p><p>Rocco stared Lucas in the face and said, “That’s <em>your</em> problem.”</p><p>They glared at each other for a bit before Rocco turned to Ibrahim, “Plus, I’m still a bit miffed you picked Marisol.”</p><p>“You didn’t say anything in the dressing room, I didn’t know. I wanted Priya, but I didn’t want to take her from Noah,” he replied, glaring at Noah.</p><p>Noah sighed, “I would have picked her to be fair. Now I’m glad I couldn’t. Me and Hope…”</p><p>“Yeah yeah, you’re all loved up,” Gary rolled his eyes.</p><p>Bobby sighed, “Hopefully there will be another recoupling soon, and we can all get what we want I guess.”</p><p>Henrik looked up sadly, “Yeah, but does that mean one of us is going home?”</p><p>The boys all went quiet again, lost in their own thoughts. Bobby knew the chances were low, but he really hoped that person would be Lucas. It would more likely it would be Bobby though. Because he had not made any romantic connections in here. He was starting to feel like he never would.</p><p>The boys each started to get texts to go to the Beach Hut and one by one they filed off. When it was his turn he slumped in the chair, waiting for the screen to ask him annoying questions.</p><p><strong>What do you think of Lucas?</strong> “Lucas is a tosser.”</p><p><strong>Why did you kiss Lottie?</strong> He shrugged, seemed like the easy choice at the time, “Honestly? I chose Lottie because I didn’t really want to kiss any of the girls.”</p><p><strong>Why did you marry Jess?</strong> He rolled his eyes and grinned at the camera, “Are you kidding me? Who wouldn’t marry Jess? She is literally the greatest girl I have ever met. She is funny and sweet and kind and ballsy and… Look, she’s just amazing ok?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess was sitting in the Beach Hut, legs folded on the large chair, smiling to herself as she thought about how she had taken Bobby and Gary down in the pool earlier. She loved to win and she was trying to come up with ways she could boast about it during the night ahead.</p><p>Suddenly the screen came on.</p><p><strong>Why did you kiss Lucas?</strong> Choosing her words carefully she said, “I like Lucas. He’s a good kisser. It wasn’t a hard choice.”</p><p><strong>Why did you marry Bobby?</strong> Why was it that any mention of Bobby made her instantly smile? She tried to hold it back a bit and then just said the first things that came to her head, “Who wouldn’t want to marry Bobby? We get along great and I would do anything for that stupid freckle-faced boy. I just… He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s my best friend. Everyone wants to marry their best friend, right? He’s so lovely and funny…” Jess cut herself off from gushing too much, realising that the producers were probably going to turn her comments into some tortured will they, won’t they story. Good god. The answer is: they won’t.</p><p><strong>How did you feel when Rocco kissed Marisol?</strong> “I’m really happy for Rocco and Marisol! I love them both as people and they both deserve love. They seem to make each other happy too.”</p><p>After leaving she looked over and saw Lottie, Gary and Henrik at the gym. That was a recipe for disaster. She decided to head over and see what they were up to. As she approached Lottie rolled her eyes and walked towards her, heading her off before she reached the gym. Gary and Henrik were at the bench, their backs to them, chatting and laughing loudly to each other about something she couldn’t hear.</p><p>Leaning in close Lottie said, “Ugh, I came over here to graft but all the boys want to do is talk about gym stuff.”</p><p>“Hey, I like to talk about gym stuff.”</p><p>“Yeah, but they’ve got two babes here now and nothing…” she frowned as she looked at them.</p><p>“Want to turn their heads babe?” Jess smirked at her.</p><p>She snorted, “We should work together.”</p><p>“I’m in!” <em>Chance to flirt? 100% in. With fucking bells on.</em></p><p>They walked over and stood just on the boundary to the gym area.</p><p>Raising her voice so they could hear, but still looking at Jess, Lottie said, “I dunno… I find it really hard to pick between these two studs.”</p><p>“Mmmm… same. I mean, Henrik has this whole sexy Viking thing going on, his hair. God, what I wouldn’t do to wrap my fingers around it and…”</p><p>Lottie joined in, “I know what you mean. And could you imagine how hot it would be to have Gary’s muscles lift you up off the ground while he…”</p><p>Both boys had stopped working out now but still hadn’t turned around.</p><p>Lottie had her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh so Jess jumped in, “Or getting hot and sweaty in a tent with Henrik. Maybe you’d have to strip naked…”</p><p>Lottie regained her composure, “Just looking at Gary makes me hot and sweaty for sure.”</p><p>Jess smirked at her and raised her eyebrow. Lottie rolled her eyes and let out a quiet giggle.</p><p>“Tell you what Loz, watching these boys work out makes me want to DIY myself...”</p><p>That did it, the boys whipped around to look at them, eyes wide and Lottie &amp; Jess burst into laughter at their expressions. The boys started cracking up as well, walking over to join them as they all struggled to get hold of themselves. Jess was laughing so hard she had to take a seat on ground, looking up at them and wiping her eyes.</p><p>Eventually Gary calmed down enough to splutter out, “What the hell was that?”</p><p>Lottie smiled at him, it was a pure and genuine smile and it made Jess get the feels for her friend’s crush. It was so fucking cute.</p><p>“We just wanted to see if we could break you.”</p><p>Henrik frowned “Wait, you mean you don’t want to…”</p><p>That sent Jess and Lottie into another fit of laughter.</p><p>Jess put her hand on Henrik’s arm, “Aww babes.”</p><p>“Maybe,” Lottie winked at him.</p><p>They all decided to sit down; the boys having given up their workout. They shared funny stories and chatted well into the afternoon. Lucas came and joined in at some point and, while he didn’t add too much to the conversation, he did get in one or two jokes. It was nice to see him getting along with the other boys. It was also nice just hanging out with him and seeing what he’s like in a group. Note-to-self: quiet.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After dinner, everyone went off to get ready for the evening. All the girls, even Hannah, had been getting along as they’d gotten ready together.</p><p>Jess had found a full-length white jumpsuit with grey vertical stripes. It was strapless but basically covered all of her body and was surprisingly casual. It was such a great change from the rest of her outfits. How many times could she get away with wearing this? Every day? Probably not. She tied her hair into a high pony and put on the silver accessories that went with it, including long chain earrings.</p><p>As per usual, she was finished before everyone else. After a brief conversation with Hope about her and Noah being really strong and planning to get up to bits later tonight, blah blah blah, she headed downstairs. She was standing in the kitchen, opening a bottle of red wine, when Bobby sauntered over to her. He was wearing one of his usual brightly coloured shirts and had a massive grin on his face. He looked so hot.</p><p>“Jesus Jess, you look…” he trailed off for a moment while he studied her.</p><p>“Stunning? Gorgeous? Beautiful? Yeah yeah, heard it all before from you,” she rolled her eyes and pulled out a second glass to pour him a drink too.</p><p>He smirked at her, “Actually, I was going tae say ‘average’.”</p><p>She laughed loudly and handed him the glass.</p><p>His eyes sparkled with amusement at her as he took a sip, “Nae Lass, I like this look. It suits yer. Casual, chill.”</p><p>She looked at him, a little shocked actually, “So you don’t like me prancing around pretty much naked all day?”</p><p>“I dinnae say that!” He looked at her in mock horror, “Please dae <em>not</em> stop doing that!”</p><p>She giggled at him, “Don’t worry Bee, still gotta catch a man before I start wearing my unattractive everyday clothes.”</p><p>He nodded at her, his face pretending to be serious, “Yer gotta line the trap with something pretty...”</p><p>“Mmm… can’t let it go off too early...”</p><p>“But once yer got that ring...”</p><p>“Fat pants come on!”</p><p>They both laughed into their glasses as they drank. He looked at her, smiling his cute Bobby smile, eyes crinkling at the sides, and she smiled back at him.</p><p>“So what do yeh usually wear?” he asked curiously.</p><p>Jess shrugged, “Jeans, jumpers, hoodies… whatever is easiest I guess. You?”</p><p>“I pretty much dress tae same as I do in here”</p><p>“Makes sense, you don’t want to wear a shirt to work. How would your employees take you seriously?” she laughed.</p><p>“Aye, it’s just the abs they listen tae.”</p><p>She smirked at him and looked down at where his abs would be if he wasn’t wearing a shirt, “I bet,” she looked back into his eyes and winked at him while he laughed. Seriously though, he could demand anything from her… Nope. Not going there.</p><p>Rocco came down to the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her, “Looking great Jess,” he quickly kissed her on the cheek, and let her go. He grabbed a couple of bottles of wine and a few glasses and said “Me and Henrik are going to sit on the couches, come join” then sauntered off towards the outdoor lounge.</p><p>Jess caught Bobby’s eye and made a motion with her hands as though she’d caught something in her trap. He chuckled and grabbed their glasses so they could go join them.</p><p>She sat down on the couch, in between Rocco and Henrik. They were talking about some climbing activity and Bobby looked at her and mimed a gun shooting into his head.</p><p>Jess laughed, tuning into the conversation just as Henrik asked her, “What do you think about high-ball climbing Jess?”</p><p>She smiled at him, thoughtfully sipping on her drink and tilting her head at him, “I dunno what that is but you can climb me any day of the week,” she winked at him and he blushed.</p><p>Rocco laughed and put his hand out for a high-five, which she slapped, “Nice Jess!” and she laughed.</p><p>Henrik looked between the two of them, slightly confused, “You guys are weird.”</p><p>Bobby chuckled, leaning back in his chair, feet on the coffee table between them, “Dinnae worry about ‘em, they’re having yer on.”</p><p>Jess looked at Rocco, “We just like to keep them guessing don’t we babes?”</p><p>He grinned at her, grabbing her hand, and giving it a kiss, “The mystery keeps the romance alive.”</p><p>Bobby rolled his eyes and turned to Henrik, “Tell meh bout high-ball climbing.”</p><p>Jess snapped her eyes to Bobby, giving him a questioning look. He did not want to hear about Henrik’s lame climbing stories. Bobby just smirked at her over the rim of his glass, then went back to pretending to be engaged in Henrik’s rant.</p><p>Slowly the other Islanders arrived and joined them all. Jess started a conversation with Lottie about tarot reading, that sounded super interesting. Jess didn’t really believe in it 100% but she thought that even if knowing the future inspired her to do something that she wasn’t planning on doing before knowing, that would be a win right? Lottie decided she needed to read Jess’s leaves and they were just discussing it when they were interrupted.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Everyone scrambled to check their phones and Lottie rolled her eyes “It’s me.” She looked down and laughed nervously as she read out the text, <em>“The Hideaway is open. Please choose one couple to spend the night away #quiettime #bitoflove.”</em></p><p>All the Islanders broke into celebration. Jess joined in, but she wasn’t all that excited to be honest. There was no way her and Rocco would be picked to go anyway so it was a moot point.</p><p>“Get in!” yelled Gary.</p><p>“How are we going to decide?” Ibrahim asked.</p><p>Hope piped up, “Well, it should be the strongest couple, so me and Noah should go.”</p><p>“Yeah but me and Hannah and Jess and Rocco have been together longer,” Gary said.</p><p>“Pfft, you can’t send broken up couples to the hideaway,” Hannah scoffed at him, clearly still sour about their breakup.</p><p>“Why not?” Priya asked, “I mean, it’s not just for sex right? And what if a night away rekindles the flame?”</p><p>Marisol nodded, “I agree, it seems like every couple should be able to be considered”</p><p>“It would be nice to have the chance for some peace and quiet,” Ibrahim added.</p><p>Jess sighed, “I really don’t want to argue about this all night.”</p><p>Bobby winked at her, “Aye, Jess just wants tae hurry up and get tae the hideaway so she can get laid already.”</p><p>She laughed, despite trying not to. He was outrageous and she loved it.</p><p>“We could play a game? To see who wins it?” Rocco suggested.</p><p>“Aye! That’s a great idea! What about Vodka roulette?” Bobby said.</p><p>“What’s that then?” Noah asked.</p><p>“We used tae play to choose sober driver. Twelve shots of Vodka. One shot of water. Water loses. Or in this case, wins,” Bobby explained to the group.</p><p>“That way the winner only has water, ensuring no issues… getting it up,” Jess joked.</p><p>Bobby gave her a sly smile, “Aye, and the rest of us can drown our sorrows.”</p><p>“If I get the water, can I pick who I want to go with me?” Henrik asked loudly, grinning at the boys.</p><p>All the boys exchanged looks but eventually they agreed that Henrik should also be included in the game. Bobby went over to the kitchen to get to work pouring shots onto a tray, while the rest of them sat around and talked in their couples.</p><p>Jess leaned closer to Henrik and asked him quietly “Who might you pick?”</p><p>He grinned at her “I don’t want to rock the boat…” he trailed off and looked around at the others. When he turned back, he was blushing slightly and whispered, “Maybe Lottie?”</p><p>“How will that not rock the boat mate?” Rocco chuckled.</p><p>“She’s in a friendship couple, right?” Henrik asked, frowning. Had he seriously not picked up what was going on with Gary and Lottie?</p><p>“Oh… is that the reason Henrik?” Jess smirked at him knowingly, “Not at all related to how you think she’s sexy hmm?”</p><p>He blushed even harder and looked flustered, “Well… I, but, there's-” <em>So adorable.</em></p><p>She cut him off with a giggle, patting his arm, “I’m just giving you shit babes. Pick her if you want. You never know right?”</p><p>“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” Rocco laughed. He looked over her shoulder, “Speaking of shots, let’s go!”</p><p>Jess turned to see Bobby walking over with the tray, placing it carefully on the coffee table. Rocco told him to turn around and spun the tray around a few times; ensuring there was no way he could cheat. As if he would.</p><p>Everyone grabbed a shot and they toasted <em>‘to the hideaway’</em>. Jess threw her shot back, but instead of the burning Vodka she was expecting, it was smooth. Fuck. It was water.</p><p>“I guess it’s me,” Jess told the group, a little less than enthusiastically. She had played the game, but she hadn’t cared all that much about going. As far as she was concerned, Hope &amp; Noah could have it. She was just about to say as much when both Hope and Rocco yelled out at the same time.</p><p>“What a waste!”</p><p>“Yes babe!”</p><p>Before she knew what was happening, Rocco had her in a fireman lift, hoisted over his shoulder.</p><p>“Put me down!” she laughed. He chuckled in response and continued walking away from the group towards the hideaway. She was facing the others and huffed as she saw most of them were cheering. She rolled her eyes and gave them a wave as Rocco literally carried her off.</p><p>At least she’d get a decent sleep tonight.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. That was going to be my joke</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jess &amp; Rocco come back from the hideaway (did they bone? I'm desperate to find out). Bobby struggles with a touch of jealousy (unrelated to possible hideaway boning). The girls have fun in a challenge (not that kind of fun... though, there are lots of dicks around today, so, maybe). </p><p>Bobby &amp; Jess compete in a dumb bet that they'll regret later. Not the smartest people we know.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Most of the Islanders, including Bobby, had stumbled out of bed this morning, and gathered around the kitchen, still in their pyjamas, chatting and drinking coffee.</p><p>They all started talking about the weird things they did as a teenager to get a date. Marisol told them about how she once left a note confessing her love in someone’s locker but put it in the wrong one and had to avoid a boy in school for the rest of the year. Gary told a story about him being in a science group with this girl and inviting her over to his nan’s for ‘dinner and study’ because she makes a great roast chicken, but the girl ended up liking his nan more than him would only ever visit if his nan was there.</p><p>“I used to go tae this coffee shop and-”</p><p>“Oh, they’re back,” Marisol interrupted, pointing somewhere behind him.</p><p>Bobby turned and saw Jess and Rocco walking across the lawn towards them, arm in arm. Rocco was clearly telling her a story and Jess was nodding along, but squinting, clearly only half-awake. She was wearing his favourite pj’s again, this time in mint green, her long hair tied into a knot atop her head, tendrils dropping down around her face. Bobby walked over to the counter and started pouring her cup of coffee. He couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable. He knew everyone was going to ask what they’d got up to and he kind of didn’t want to hear about anyone’s sex life. It was weird in general. Not just because it was Jess. It had nothing to do with her. Like, at all.</p><p>As she reached them, she looked a little surprised by their presence, as if she hadn’t noticed them earlier, and Rocco yelled out, “Good Morning Guys!”</p><p>Jess groaned and flopped on one of the stools at the end of the Island, smiling sweetly at Bobby when he handed her the coffee. He winked and leant down on the counter next to her.</p><p>“Oi Oi mate,” Gary said as he slapped an arm around Rocco’s shoulders, “Had a good night then?! Jess looks tired, huh?”</p><p>Jess turned and fixed Gary with a death stare, “Shut up Gaz.”</p><p>Gary looked at her, “Come on Jess, you can’t go to the hideaway and not tell us.”</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes, “That’s <em>exactly</em> what’s going to happen Gary.”</p><p>Hope leaned on the counter while Jess sipped her coffee, “Tell us Jess!” she smiled at her, “We’ll find out anyway.”</p><p>Jess groaned again, took a giant gulp of coffee and said, “Alright, alright. If you must know… Let’s just say that me and Rocco…” she took another couple of sips of her coffee, then looked into it, pretending to be distracted by it.</p><p>“Jess!” Marisol sighed</p><p>“Spit it out,” Lottie told her.</p><p>Jess laughed and finished with, “Were really glad to get away from all the snoring.”</p><p>Everyone groaned.</p><p>“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?” Marisol asked. She put her hand on her hip and glared “Rocco?”</p><p>Rocco laughed, “There’s nothing to tell.”</p><p>“See?! I knew it was a waste,” Hope declared, throwing her hands in the air.</p><p>Bobby caught Jess’s eye and she winked at him. Morning Jess was fast becoming one of his favourite Jess’s. She was a grumpy shit sometimes, but for some reason he had a soft spot for her morning attitude. Plus, she always looked so messed up, never bothering to fix her bed head. It was beyond attractive.</p><p>“What were you guys talking about?” Jess asked.</p><p>“Oh! Bobby was just about to tell us a story,” Noah chuckled, “We were talking about our embarrassing <em>'moves'</em>.”</p><p>“Oh?” Jess quirked an eyebrow at Bobby.</p><p>“Aye Lass, I wasn’t always Captain B-Smooth yeh know,” he grinned at her.</p><p>Jess muttered into her coffee cup, “You’re not now.”</p><p>“Hey! I heard tha’,” Bobby chuckled, “Nae, I had this move where I would go tae this coffee shop and leave meh wallet on the table of girls I fancied.”</p><p>“Why would you do that?” Ibrahim asked, his face a picture of confusion.</p><p>“It was a fake wallet, but it had meh number in it. Got a call 9 times out of 10.”</p><p>Jess looked at him, “No fucking way.”</p><p>“Yeah fucking wae.”</p><p>“Maybe you <em>are</em> Captain B-Smooth.”</p><p>He winked at her.</p><p>“Sounds like a lot of work to me,” Lucas piped in grumpily.</p><p>Jess shrugged, “Honestly, if I found out someone had put <em>that</em> much effort into getting my number, I’d go on a date with them, 100%.”</p><p>The girls all nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s really sweet Bobby,” Priya said.</p><p>Lucas huffed, “You wouldn’t really fall for that right Jess?”</p><p>Jess shrugged, “I might. If Bobby was the one who left it there.”</p><p>“Aye, and I’d go back every day just to leave it behind fer yeh Jess,” he joked, sending her a wink.</p><p>“Mmmm… in that case I might not call you, just to see how long it took until you gathered enough courage to talk to me,” Jess had turned her body to face him and was looking up at him with amusement in her eyes.</p><p>“Nae, yeh would have cracked <em>waaay</em> before I did. Have yeh seen my abs?” he drawled and gestured down at his naked torso.</p><p>“Would you have come into the coffee shop half-naked?” she said as she jokingly eyed him up.</p><p>“I’m sure I would ‘ave found a reason.”</p><p>Jess snorted and lifted her cup to her mouth as she muttered, “In that case you’d only need to go in once.”</p><p>Lucas coughed loudly and they both turned to see all the Islanders staring at them. Most of them with smirks on their face, knowing they were bantering and finding it funny, but Lucas had a god-awful scowl, and it was directed at Jess. It made his hackles rise.</p><p>“Oh, thanks for noticing we’re all here. Sorry to interrupt your <em>foreplay</em> Jess,” he all but snarled at her. His tone threw Bobby over edge.</p><p>“Yeh should watch yeh attitude mate.”</p><p>Lucas turned to glare at him, and Bobby stared straight back at him, a calm expression on his face. It was his favourite look to pull when people were being aggressive; they either backed off or got more fired up. He’d been in enough fights to know that pretty boy Lucas would lose if he tried to take him on. Bobby hadn’t fought in a long time, and he didn’t want to now, but he was not going to stand by and let this trash bag talk to Jess like that.</p><p>Jess, still looking at Lucas, instantly put her hand out and gripped Bobby’s forearm in a comforting gesture. He calmed down and averted his gaze from Lucas. Jess calmly said, “Babe, don’t talk to me like that, it was just banter.”</p><p>Lucas frowned at her and then sighed and stalked back off towards the Villa. Asshole.</p><p>“What’s up his ass?” Priya asked.</p><p>Jess just shrugged, “Guess he’s grumpy in the mornings. We’re a match made in heaven,” her voice deadpanned.</p><p>A couple of people laughed and eventually everyone went back to their conversations.</p><p>Jess, who still had her hand on his arm, turned to look at him, her head tilted slightly as she assessed him, “You OK?” she whispered.</p><p>Bobby let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding and laughed quietly, “Are yer?”</p><p>She smiled at him, “I can handle myself Bee. Pretty sure you learnt that day one.”</p><p>He put his hand over hers, “Aye Lass, just don’t let him walk all over yeh.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, “As if.”</p><p>“Still, say the word, I’ll fucking kick his ass Jess, no questions.”</p><p>It wasn’t even about Lucas. Even though it would get him kicked out; he would fight for her every time. No hesitation.</p><p>She leaned back and looked him up and down as though she didn't believe he actually could, “Nah, no way.”</p><p>“Yeah, I dinnae like to talk about it, but I’ve been in a fair few fights in my younger days,” he leaned in closer as he whispered, “And I play tae win.”</p><p>She giggled; her eyes bright with amusement as she whispered, “So do I.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess was still in the kitchen with all the Islanders. Everyone was talking in different groups and she was telling Noah and Ibrahim about the time she lost her friends at a gig and somehow ended up backstage writing really bad sex puns with the lead singer of the band, who then proceeded to sing it to the audience to the tune of <em>‘My heart will go on’</em>.</p><p>“No, no, that wasn’t even the worst line!” she was saying through her laughter, the boys were pissing themselves, and some of the others had also started to listen in. She started singing the next line, “Catttttlllle prooooodddd...” she burst into laughter again, not able to finish.</p><p>
  <em>Ding. </em>
</p><p>Gasping for air, Jess pulled out her phone and read it to herself while she tried to stop giggling enough to actually speak, <em>“Jess, your mission is to get all the girls to the dressing room without alerting suspicion #girlcode #secrettask.”</em></p><p>Noah, also still trying to stop laughing, said, “What does it say?”</p><p>Jess took a couple of deep breaths to calm down from her giggle fit. She rolled her eyes and groaned to the group, “They want us to stop fucking around in our pjs and get dressed.”</p><p>Everyone groaned and started shuffling inside. <em>Too fucking easy. Give me a harder one next time.</em></p><p>Once all the girls were inside the dressing room Jess’s phone went off again. All the girls turned to look at her and she read it out loud, “Great work Jess, you got all the girls together without anyone suspecting anything #spywork.”</p><p>Marisol raised an eyebrow at her, “Oh, that was pretty good.”</p><p>Jess grinned smugly.</p><p>“Now what?” Priya asked, just as Lottie’s phone went off, “Never mind.”</p><p>Lottie read out her message, “Girls, today you will partake in a series of challenges. If you all complete your tasks the Villa will receive a party tonight. If any of the boys catch on, you will lose the game. The boys have received a text telling them today is a free day. You have five hours to complete ten challenges between you. You may help each other out. #secretsquirrel #missionpossible.”</p><p>All the girls squealed quietly so the boys wouldn’t overhear and jumped up and down.</p><p>“Fuck yes!” Jess whispered, dancing on the spot. She was so excited to have some fun messing with the boys.</p><p>Lottie snorted, “Let’s hope it doesn’t involve Jess whispering.”</p><p>Jess poked her tongue at Lottie and screwed her face up, causing her to snort more.</p><p>Priya got a text. She giggled and whispered, “Ok agents, our secret missions are…” the other girls giggled, “One girl must hug all the boys.”</p><p>“Oh! I’ll do that,” Lottie smirked, “They’ll be so confused by it.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’d be hilarious!” Hope agreed.</p><p>“Great! Next up,” Priya continued, “One girl must spill water on three boys.”</p><p>Marisol smiled, “I’d love to do that!” All the girls nodded</p><p>“Ooo… I’ll do this one,” Priya said smiling, “One girl must get two boys to participate in a catwalk competition.”</p><p>“Ya babes, we can help out by starting a girls comp?” Jess suggested.</p><p>“Great idea, they’ll love that,” Priya winked at her, “One girl must get Bobby to bake something ‘in his image’ and get at least three boys to eat some of it.”</p><p>Jess threw her hand up in excitement, “100% me!”</p><p>The girls laughed and nodded. Lottie smirked at her, “You just want to see Bobby’s dick.”</p><p>Jess winked at her, “Maybe…” Not really. Mostly she just wanted to do some baking. And it didn’t hurt that she got to do it with Bobby. She loved spending time with that idiot.</p><p>Priya giggled, “So, while Jess is checking Bobby out, one girl must get Gary to carry them around the Villa for two minutes straight.”</p><p>Hope jumped in, “I’ll do that! Fun!”</p><p>“I’ll time it hun,” Lottie said, “Just give me a signal.” Hope smiled at her and nodded.</p><p>“One girl must get Henrik to say ‘Fanny Flutters’ three times,” Priya read out.</p><p>Hannah said, “Imagine him going all pink, cute! I’ll take that one.”</p><p>“You got it Hannah,” Priya nodded at her and looked back to her phone, “One girl must get Noah and Ibrahim to wrestle.”</p><p>Hope shrugged, “That’s a little harder but I think I can pull it off.”</p><p>Marisol smiled, “Sure babe, just ask us if you need a hand.”</p><p>“One girl must get Lucas to give them a massage,” Priya looked up, “I don’t mind doing that one.”</p><p>“Shouldn’t Jess do that? Aren’t you kind of a thing?” Hope asked, eyes narrowed.</p><p>“I don’t mind, you're coupled up with him so go for it babes,” she told Priya</p><p>Priya smiled warmly at her, then read the next one, “One girl must get Rocco to sing and dance in front of the other Islanders.”</p><p>All the girls looked around for a bit when no one volunteered. Lottie piped up, “I mean, Jess has to do that right? She’d easily be able to convince him. Plus no one would be surprised, she’s loud and annoying anyway,” she said playfully.</p><p>Jess poked her tongue out at Lottie, “Ha ha. But sure, can do.”</p><p>“Settled” Priya said, “Last one is… Once all the other challenges have been completed, your last mission is to get all the boys and girls in the pool at the same time.”</p><p>“We’ll all do that!” Hope said.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Jess looked at her phone, “Oh, they’ve sent me a checklist and a five hour timer, so let me know when you’ve done your tasks and I guess I’ll make sure everyone is on track,” she looked around at the girls, “Is everyone ok with that?”</p><p>The girls all nodded and Jess smiled at them. <em>Today was going to be amazing.</em></p><p>“Ok, should we do our weird sports team break thing then?” Marisol suggested.</p><p>“What?” Hannah asked, looking confused.</p><p>Hope smiled and put her hand on Hannah’s arm, “Oh sorry, we decided we girls are going to be ‘Bosom Buddies’,” Hannah nodded but still looked confused.</p><p>The girls put their hands in the middle, whispered, “Bosom Buddies,” and let their hands fly into the air, laughing as they did.</p><p>Jess quickly grabbed a bikini, this one thankfully had high-waisted, boy short bottoms and a top that looked like a crop top. It was tailored and a solid blue colour that matched her eyes perfectly. She quickly put on the matching blue heels and she was ready to take the Villa by storm!</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby flopped down on the sun lounger. The girls had started a wrestling match earlier and the boys had all joined in. He’d beaten Gaz and Henrik and now he was feeling hot and tired. All of them were to be fair, so they sat lounging around the pool. Well, everyone except Jess and Rocco, who were doing Yoga in the gym area across the lawn. The music they were listening to was playing softly through the Villa speakers - the producers had let them play music today; it was a free day. Apparently, they were going to replay some highlights on telly tonight. They were still filming today just in case, which sucked, but hey, he’d take anything he could get.</p><p>Bobby lay back, hoping Jess would be done soon. He wanted to start a game in the pool. It wasn’t that he couldn’t start a game without her; he just didn’t want to. She was such a ball of energy and it was infectious. Even when there was drama happening around them, everyone usually brightened up when she did. Things were just… more fun when she was around.</p><p>Suddenly, the music was turned up and he heard the beginning of ‘Ghost’ by Ella Henderson playing. He poked his head up to see what was happening and laughed to himself as he saw Jess stalking towards Rocco as he backed away, shaking his head. She was clearly singing to him and trying to get him to join in. As the beat picked up a bit more, Jess started doing ridiculous 80’s dance moves, jumping towards him as he backed further across the lawn, moving towards where the rest of them were gathered. Everyone was now paying attention to the amusing scene before them, cheering them on.</p><p>As they got closer, he could hear Jess signing and laughing at Rocco, “Come on babes, I know you know the words,” throwing her head back and belting them out.</p><p>She still had a light sheen of sweat on her from the Yoga and it made her skin glow in the sun. As the song reached the chorus, she threw her hands in the air, jumping around on the spot. She was actually a pretty good singer but even if she wasn’t, she probably would have still sung that loudly. Jess was quite literally dancing as if no one was watching.</p><p>Suddenly Rocco rolled his eyes at her, dropped the water bottle that was in his hand and finally just gave in to it. Bobby watched as Rocco danced just as idiotically as Jess and sung just as loud. Wow, he really did know all the words. Jess’s look of pure joy was fucking adorable. How does someone act that stupid and still manage to be beautiful? Everyone around him started cheering the pair on as they danced around the lawn in front of them.</p><p>As the song continued on, they started dancing with each other, Rocco’s hand around her waist and Jess’s arm on his shoulders, spinning each other around, heads thrown back laughing. Bobby watched Rocco grab her around the waist from behind and swing her around in circles, while she laughed. She looked like she’d never had more fun in her life. Bobby couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling as he watched them. He couldn’t put a finger on the emotion.</p><p>He shook it off as the song started coming to an end, and he joined in as everyone clapped and cheered. Jess and Rocco stood in front of them, bowing to the applause. The next song had already started playing and Jess turned to Rocco, a mischievous look in her eye and Rocco immediately grabbed her, lifting her up off the ground, bridal style, while she screamed with laughter. Rocco turned and ran full pelt towards the pool, jumping as he reached the edge so they both splashed into it.</p><p>Bobby lay back and put an arm over his eyes as they started laughing and mucking about in the pool. The feeling in the pit of his stomach had started to become a little clearer to him now. He was jealous. He had never been jealous of a friend before, it was strange. He couldn’t help it though - he wanted to be the one she had that much fun with. Not fucking La La Land Rocco. He probably shouldn’t be thinking that; he liked Rocco. He had just thought that their friendship was different somehow. Better maybe?</p><p>Bobby was snapped unceremoniously from his thoughts when someone jumped on him, lying across his body. He groaned loudly and lifted his arms off his face to find himself looking directly into Jess’s eyes, their faces inches apart. Her hair was still a little wet, so her usual curls now lay flatter but her eyes were sparkling the same way they did whenever she was excited about something.</p><p>“Wha’ dae are yeh doing?” he grumbled at her.</p><p>She giggled and slid off him, so she was kneeling beside him. The look on her face told him she wanted something, “I’m booooorrreeeeddddd,” she fake whined.</p><p>“Why don't yeh have a nap?” he suggested, mostly to piss her off.</p><p>“What a fun activity Grandpa Bobby!” she quipped back in a child-like voice.</p><p>He held back a laugh and instead rolled his eyes, “Fiiinnneee... tell me yer idea then.”</p><p>“What makes you think I have an idea?” she said, eyes narrowed in a fake glare.</p><p>He tapped his nose.</p><p>She smiled warmly at him for a moment then suddenly jumped up, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet, “I do, so let’s go,” she announced before quiet literally dragging him behind her to the kitchen.</p><p>Once they got there, she stood in front of the counter, bouncing on the spot in excitement. He looked behind her an noticed a bunch of items had been laid out on the bench. He walked past her and around the bench and inspected what was laid out; baking ingredients. His face lit up and he looked back up at her.</p><p>She was grinning ear to ear. They must have looked ridiculous, standing there smiling stupidly at each other.</p><p>He broke the silence with a chuckle, “So basically, yeh dragged meh over here so I can bake for yeh?”</p><p>“No idiot, we’ll make it together.”</p><p>He raised an eyebrow, “Do yeh know how to bake?”</p><p>She threw her hand to her chest dramatically, “Bobby McKenzie! I can bake, I can cook, I look half decent in a bikini. I’m the whole package baby!” she put on a cute little pose and he laughed at her.</p><p>“I’ll never doubt yer again. What’re we making?”</p><p>He looked down and inspected the ingredients to see if he could work it out. As if reading his mind, she said, “One guess.”</p><p>He spotted some cookie cutters to the side, “Sugar cookies?”</p><p>“Yup!” she clapped her hands once and came to join him on his side of the bench.</p><p>He rolled his eyes, “Of all the delicious baked goods yer could choose, yeh picked the <em>lamest</em> one?”</p><p>She slapped him playfully, “Don’t worry! I got a plan to make them not so boring,” she bit her lip and let her eyes trail down his body.</p><p>He narrowed his eyes at her, “What are yeh–”</p><p>“All in good time Bee,” she cut him off and threw his apron at him; he’d brought his own. He loved it; it had a silly ‘kiss the chef’ slogan on it that he had thought would be appropriate given this was Love Island.</p><p>“How’d yeh get this?” he asked as he put it on.</p><p>She tapped her nose and winked at him, “A magician never–”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” he cut her off, “Right, yer going to be my sous chef so yeh’ll have to do as I say.”</p><p>She stood up straight and saluted him, “Aye Aye Captain Bee!”</p><p>He chuckled at her and they got to work. Turns out Jess wasn’t lying about knowing how to bake. There was a lot of eye rolling on her part as he explained everything in detail to her, but he quickly caught on that she knew what he meant, and they fell into a comfortable rhythm.</p><p>He was surprised to learn that her casual nature didn’t translate to measuring ingredients; she was exact and precise. He hadn’t pegged her as detail-orientated but was pleased to find out she was. He would have kicked her out if she’d half-assed it. When he’d told her as much, she said that it only comes out with baking, as a cook she’s a <em>‘little bit of this, little of that’</em> kind of person. Baking was a science, and Jess loved science. <em>Cute.</em> </p><p>It didn’t take too long to make the dough and soon they were rolling it out so they could cut shapes before baking it.</p><p>He turned to her, picking up one of the star shape cutters, “So, is <em>this</em> the exciting part? A star?”</p><p>She laughed, loudly, and looked up at him mischievously. She tilted her head to the side and put on an act of innocence that he saw right through, “Well… I was just thinking about that cake you told us you made. You know… the one that was shaped like your...” she trailed off and once again let her eyes drift down his body.</p><p>Oh no. He wasn't sure he'd like this. He raised an eyebrow at her and stayed silent.</p><p>She met his eyes and smirked, “We could call them <em>cock</em>ies!”</p><p>She burst out laughing and he couldn’t help it, he did too. Even he had to admit the name was pure gold and might be a missed opportunity if they didn’t do it. She should help him name all his baking creations from now on.</p><p>“Plluuusss… we’ll be literally <em>Baking Bobby’s Bits,</em>” she said, smiling up at him.</p><p>Bobby grinned at her, secretly over the fucking moon that she had remembered their previous conversation about bakery names. In all his past relationships he was always the one referencing past banter and nobody had <em>ever</em> remembered. It always led to an awkward conversation where he tried to remind them, and they pretended to know. He had stopped doing it so much, that’s how deflating it was. This gorgeous, energetic girl had undone all his past frustrations with three little words. He hoped she’d keep doing it.</p><p>“First, we certainly will nae be baking <em>my</em> bits. Second, me bakery is <em>nae</em> going to be named that!” he laughed.</p><p>She giggled and scrunched up her nose in mock displeasure, “<em>First</em>, I <em>have</em> to know what you’re packing. <em>Second</em>, it’s a better than your <em>trash</em> idea of Bobby’s Bootylicious Bakery. Trust me, no one wants to eat ass in a bakery.”</p><p>“But they want to swallow cock... ees?” he smirked.</p><p>“Oi! That was going to be <em>my</em> joke!” she giggled as she playfully swatted his arm.</p><p>He burst out laughing, and decided to give her the win, “Aye, yeh might be right though Lass; that was an awful name...”</p><p>Her eyes glittered with excitement, “But cockies is great right? You’re in?”</p><p>He rolled his eyes and grabbed two small pairing knives, handing her one, “I’m in.”</p><p>They set about their task. Bobby was making cute cartoon versions and Jess cut out life sized ones of different shapes and sizes.</p><p>Each time she’d finish one she’d ask <em>‘is this right?’</em>, trying to get him to reveal what his looks like. He ignored her every time. She’d look at him for a second and then make some comment like <em>‘ok, smaller then’</em> or <em>‘no? bigger?’</em> or <em>‘oh, maybe more chode like’</em> and try again. It was basically ten minutes of him struggling to pretend to be serious and not laugh at her ridiculous dick shaped cookies.</p><p>When they were done, they put the trays in the oven and went about making the icing. The cockies weren’t going to take long, and they would still need to cool before they decorated them, but icing was Jess’s favourite part apparently, so she convinced him they should immediately set about making a bunch of different colours.</p><p>Jess wanted to make flesh coloured icing so, despite Bobby protesting, she stood there, mixing different colours together then lifting the icing to his skin to check it matched. Bobby pretended to complain and groan the entire time, while he made bright, fun colours. Secretly, he thought her dedication to the joke was hilarious. Then that led into a conversation where she tried to get him to reveal if his dick had freckles on it too. He stayed tight lipped, so she set to work making an icing colour to match his freckles ‘just in case’.</p><p>He had never had so much fun baking in his life.</p><p>Once they were done, they sat on the stools, munching on a bag of chips, and waiting for the cockies to be cool enough. Out of the corner of his eye, Bobby noticed the boys were all doing some kind of sexy walk by the pool while the girls cheered them on.</p><p>“Wha’ are they up tae?” He asked.</p><p>Jess looked over and laughed, “I don’t even want to know.”</p><p>He chuckled in response.</p><p>She eyed him for a second, “You want to go join in, don’t you?”</p><p>“A little. I mean, whatever they’re doing cannae beat <em>all of this,</em>” he gestured to himself and winked at her.</p><p>Just then Lottie came up behind him and put her arms around him in a bear hug. <em>What the fuck?</em> Bobby just sat there stunned, patting her arm politely. He looked up at her and searched her face to make sure she was OK. She looked fine. He honestly didn’t know what to do.</p><p>“Er… yeh OK?”</p><p>She let go of him and rolled her eyes, looking pissed off, “Oh sorry that I’m the <em>last person</em> you want to hug Bobby,” she scoffed at him and looked at Jess.</p><p>Bobby was confused, why was she mad at him? “I didn’t mean-”</p><p>She waved a hand at him dismissively and noticed the cockies that were cooling on the bench, “Oh my! Those give me the <em>fanny-flutters</em> for sure,” she said as she winked at Jess.</p><p>“Mmmm… me too,” Jess smiled back at her, “Guess which one is Bobby’s!”</p><p>“Hey! None of em are thank yeh very much!”</p><p>Lottie ignored him and pointed at one particularly weird looking one that was shaped like a horseshoe, “That one!”</p><p>Jess high-fived Lottie, “Nailed it!” and they broke down in fits of giggles while Bobby crossed his arms and glared playfully at them both.</p><p>“Right, well, Lucas is giving Priya a massage and I need to get in <em>that</em> line!” Lottie announced before walking back over to the others.</p><p>“Bye Loz,” Jess called, then she turned to smile innocently at Bobby.</p><p>“Yer such a shit,” he told her.</p><p>She rolled her eyes, “Whatever, you love it.”</p><p>Yup, he kinda did.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess was right; today was amazing. All the girls had banded together and were exchanging secret codes between them. She was a little worried that the boys might catch on, but Bobby hadn’t clicked whatsoever when Lottie had come over. She was so fucking impressed at the Aussie’s ability to secretly get messages to her. She also had to wonder just how smart these boys were. Did they seriously just think this was all normal?</p><p>While they were baking, Marisol had walked up to refill her bottle and told them how she’d left the lid unscrewed and knocked it over. AKA, confirmation that she had completed her task. Still no suspicions from Bobby. Jess had also seen that Hope had bumped hard into Gary and pretend to fall and hurt her leg. She had demanded that he take her to the daybeds, then changed her mind a couple of times. Lottie, who had been casually looking at her phone while this was happening, turned and caught eyes with Jess. Done.</p><p>She and Bobby had just decorated the <em>fuck</em> out of the cockies and had arranged them on a platter. She still couldn’t believe how quickly he had agreed to it either. There was a split second when she thought he was going to say no. But he’d loved the idea and their cockies looked amazing. Well, his did, he had made cute cartoon faces and bow ties and they were adorable. Hers looked… kind of scary actually, even she had to admit her decorating skills left much to be desired.</p><p>Jess knew that baking with Bobby would be a blast, but she was not prepared for how much fun it was. She couldn’t believe how long Bobby had put up with her nonsense, never once getting actually annoyed at her. She had known he was just pretending to be frustrated with her; when he thought she wasn’t looking, he’d had this stupid giant grin on his face. She wanted to bake with him every day. She wanted to make him smile like that every day.</p><p>When they were done, her and Bobby had ‘toasted’ and took a bite of one each. <em>One boy down, two to go.</em></p><p>Bobby and Jess walked over to where everyone was still milling by the pool. She grinned widely at them, “Guess what? Me and Bobby have been baking!”</p><p>“Fuck yes!” Gary jumped up and ran over to her. Then looked down at the plate, confused for a moment, “What the fuck are these?”</p><p>Jess held one in the air so everyone could see, and Bobby yelled out, “They’re <em>cock</em>ies!”</p><p>Everyone burst out laughing and ran over to get a look at their creations. She caught Bobby’s eye and he looked as proud as she felt.</p><p>The girls started grabbing their favourites and making jokes, but the boys held back awkwardly, so she started handing them out, assigning everyone a dick.</p><p>Gary took his hesitantly, “Yeah… I’m not putting this in my mouth.”</p><p>Jess scoffed at him, “First time you’ve said that.”</p><p>He laughed but still tried to put it back on the platter. She moved it out of his reach and said, “Don’t be a pussy Gaz,” repeating the words she’d said to him the first night.</p><p>She stared at him and he stared right back. Eventually he gave up, rolled his eyes at her and took a bite. <em>Gary is my bitch</em>.</p><p>She smiled at him, “Not so bad right?”</p><p>“Nah, it’s pretty tasty actually.”</p><p>She winked at him, “That’s what she said.”</p><p>Everyone roared with laughter again, and Jess saw Noah take a bite of his, no prompting needed. <em>Annnd they were done. Almost.</em></p><p>Eventually they all went back to sitting around, some on the grass, some sitting on the edge of the pool and some on the loungers.</p><p>Lucas was sitting on the edge of the pool, furthest away from everyone, leaning back on his arms with his face titled to the sun. He looked so relaxed, she decided to go and join him. Partly because she hadn’t spent any time with him today and really wanted to, and partly because she wanted to be near him when it came for pool time, so she could make sure he did it.</p><p>As she sat down, next to him, “Hi gorgeous.”</p><p>He smiled tentatively at her, “Hey babe. Er, I’m really sorry about this morning,” <em>Oh shit, that’s right.</em> Jess had forgotten about the incident this morning. To be honest, she was already over it.</p><p>“No worries, I get grumpy sometimes too.” <em>Lol. A lot.</em></p><p>All of a sudden, Lucas was looking down at her with a smug, confident smile.</p><p>The look he was giving her shot a bolt of electricity straight through her. It was literally all she could do to not grab him right there and then and pull him in for a hard-core make out session. Maybe some bits. Maybe some cupboard sex. Jesus. They’d spoken two sentences and she was up for it… <em>Focus Jess</em>.</p><p>He smirked at her and leaned in to whisper in her ear, his breath on her neck sending shivers down her spine, “I can tell exactly what you’re thinking. I’m thinking it too.”</p><p>She swallowed and tried to play it off, “Don't get too ahead of yourself Koh.”</p><p>He laughed, “I kind of like this anticipation.”</p><p>“Mmmm...” she hummed, pushing herself off the edge and into the pool.</p><p>She sighed happily as the water touched her skin, throwing her head back, “Wanna take a swim with me?” she held out her hands for him to join her and threw him her most seductive look.</p><p>He hummed as though he was debating it.</p><p>“Pleeeeaaassseeee???” she fluttered her eyelashes at him.</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her and took her hands, sliding into the water too. They bobbed around for a few moments, holding hands under water and chatting about nothing in particular.</p><p>Eventually the girls noticed the hint because Hope yelled out, “How’s the water Jess?”</p><p>“Fucking amazing! I don’t know what you’re all doing in the hot sun still!” she called back.</p><p>The girls immediately jumped up and started convincing the boys to jump in the pool. Jess laughed as Bobby needed no encouragement, just bombing straight in the pool, sending a splash over the Islanders around the pool. That did it, they were mostly all wet now anyway, so they all started to join in, taking turns at bombing into the pool. Boys were so easy.</p><p>Lucas groaned next to her, “If they’re all getting in, I’m getting out.”</p><p>She wrapped her legs and arms around him from behind, whispering, “Stay, just for a bit,” into his ear and she ran her hands over his chest.</p><p>He groaned quietly but stayed. Did she feel guilty about it? Not even a little.</p><p><em>Finally</em>, everyone got in and Jess held on for a few more seconds before letting Lucas go and joining the group, who were all splashing around and laughing.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>“Who got a text?” Ibrahim yelled.</p><p>Everyone shrugged and started to get out of the pool. As they did, the girls exchanged small smiles between them. This was hands-down the best challenge they’d had so far. The girls casually lay around, not really bothering to check if their phones had gone off – they all figured the boys would be the ones to reveal what happened today.</p><p>Bobby was the last one out and when he checked his phone, yelled “It’s me!”</p><p>All the boys gathered around, waiting for him to read it out. He quickly scanned it and shouted, “Boys, yeh will nae fucking <em>believe</em> this shit!”</p><p>That did it, all the girls lost it. They all start howling with laughter. Jess was literally wiping tears from her eyes, trying to calm down, and the boys started shaking Bobby, telling him to <em>‘fucking read the text mate’.</em></p><p>Bobby stood there, looking at his phone in disbelief and begun reading it out, “Today, the girls were given a bunch of tasks tae complete...”</p><p>“No fucking way!” Gary yelled.</p><p>“What?!” Ibrahim shouted.</p><p>Bobby calmed them down, “Marisol spilled water on Noah, Gary and Henrik,” All three of those boys started cracking up laughing.</p><p>“I honestly thought that was an accident!” Noah told her.</p><p>Marisol smiled smugly.</p><p>Bobby shook his head, smiling brightly as he read, “Jess got Rocco tae perform a song and dance for everyone.”</p><p>“Fucking yes she did! It was brilliant!” Priya yelled out, giving Jess a playful shove.</p><p>“Awww... I thought you just wanted to dance with me,” Rocco joked.</p><p>Jess brushed fake dust off her shoulders and grinned at everyone.</p><p>Bobby rolled his eyes playfully at her display and continued, “Priya convinced the boys tae do a catwalk. Oh! <em>That’s</em> what yeh were doing!”</p><p>Henrik stood up tall, “I won!”</p><p>“Speaking of Henrik,” Bobby said, “Hannah got Henrik tae say ‘fanny-flutters’ three times.”</p><p>Hannah giggled and Henrik grinned and whispered something in her ear, making her blush.</p><p>“Lottie…” Bobby looked up from his phone. Jess could practically <em>see</em> Bobby's brain putting all the pieces together about the weird conversations they’d had throughout the day. He looked directly at her and gave her a look that said, <em>‘You’re a little shit’</em>, and Jess grinned at him. He shook his head and kept reading, “Lottie hugged every boy in the Villa.”</p><p>“Yeah, that was weird,” Noah said.</p><p>“Agreed,” Lucas piped up.</p><p>Lottie started laughing, “You should have seen your faces. I’ve never scared seven boys in a row before!”</p><p>Everyone joined her in laughing. When they’d calmed down Bobby continued to read, “Hope got Noah and Ibrahim tae wrestle.”</p><p>“Wait, if that was the challenge, why did we all join in?” Gary asked, glaring slightly at her.</p><p>Hope shrugged, “Because you’re all so easy.”</p><p>Jess leant over and high-fived her, “Hey-O!”</p><p>Gary chuckled.</p><p>“Hope <em>also</em> got Gary tae carry her around the Villa for 2 minutes,” Bobby read, “Aww, I missed that one.”</p><p>“You weren’t hurt?” Gary asked, shocked.</p><p>“Sorry hun, no. It was fun though,” Hope smiled at him.</p><p>“It was fun to watch too,” Noah said.</p><p>“Priya got a massage from Lucas,” Bobby said.</p><p>Lucas smiled and Priya giggled at him.</p><p>Bobby chuckled as he read the next one, “Jess got Bobby tae bake something in ‘his image’ and had three boys eat it.”</p><p>Jess laughed, “I mean, who doesn’t like a good cock<em>… ee,</em> right?” Everyone laughed and descended into even more penis jokes.</p><p>Over the noise of the others, Jess looked up and found Bobby smiling at her. His eyes were sparkling and affectionate and it made her feel warm all over.</p><p>Bobby looked down and read the last one, “Finally, everyone was in the pool at the same time. The girls successfully completed all their challenges. The prize is a Villa party!”</p><p>Everyone erupted into cheers and Jess jumped up and started a chant, “Girls! Girls! Girls!”</p><p>They danced around celebrating for a while, laughing about all the secret codes they gave to each other before they all went inside to get ready for the party.</p><p>Jess could <em>not</em> fucking wait.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby walked down to the Villa with the boys in tow. Holy shit. When they said party, they meant a fucking party. The lawn was lit up with fairy lights, and they had giant neon signs everywhere. Yes! This was his vibe!</p><p>Jess, Lottie and Priya were already standing at the drinks table. As he walked over, he watched the girls clink shot glasses and take a shot. Why was he not surprised that Jess had already started? She was always up to let her hair down. And tonight, her hair was literally down. She was wearing the most ridiculously revealing outfit he’d ever seen her in. Well, aside from a bikini. It was a metallic silver crop-top that was basically a bra with how much cleavage was on show, and a matching skirt that was so short she probably couldn’t bend down. Now that he looked properly, all the girls were wearing silver, and they all had on glittery eyeshadow that made their eyes sparkle. It was very pretty on all of them, though, he was a little shocked to see Lottie in something other than black.</p><p>The boys all joined them, and Jess held up a bottle of tequila, asking silently if they wanted in. It reminded him of that first night and briefly he realised he was no less attracted to her as he was the first day he met her. Damn it, he’d kind of hoped it that it would have faded by now.</p><p>“Hell yeah Jess!” Gary said, throwing his arm around her while she giggled and gave the guy a blinding smile.</p><p>Next to him, Lucas made an unhappy noise in the back of his throat but took the shot he was offered and downed it with everyone else. Jesus, that guy needed to chill out. He was pretty sure Jess had friend-zoned Gary. And pretty much every bloke in here, including himself. Everyone except Lucas. Why did Lucas not get that? Not that he could talk. Wasn’t he jealous earlier that day? Just because she could have fun without him. Fucking ridiculous. What was wrong with him?</p><p>Jess was just pouring a second round of shots when the other girls came and joined them, all wearing silver too. She handed one off to everyone and put hers in the air, yelling, “Girls, girls, girls”</p><p>He laughed and joined the chant with everyone else, taking his shot, and grinning at the group. Everyone was seeming to get along, even Hannah and Gary stopped being at each other’s throats. He loved this. He fucking hated drama.</p><p>The music started and he grabbed Lottie’s hand, pulling her unwillingly onto the make-shift dance floor and spinning her around in circles.</p><p>As the night wore on, people came and went on the dance floor, and Bobby eventually decided he needed some water.</p><p>He went over to the kitchen where Jess, Hope and Ibrahim were chatting.</p><p>“So basically, you can’t tell?” Jess was asking Hope, laughing.</p><p>“What’s that?” Bobby asked as he filled up a glass.</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes, “Oh, Hope thinks she can tell when people secretly like each other.”</p><p>Hope jumped up, “I can!”</p><p>“Ok then, who fancies me?” Jess questioned, smirking at Hope.</p><p>“Hmmm…” Hope tapped her chin, looking around the Villa, “Well, obviously Rocco. Lucas for sure… Possibly Gary…”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Jess replied, looking like she thought it was all bullshit.</p><p>Hope’s eyes landed on Bobby and he gave her a questioning stare.</p><p>“Maybe Bobby…” <em>Um, no. Definitely not</em>.</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes, “Yeah, now I <em>know</em> you’re full of shit!”</p><p>Bobby started laughing and everyone joined in.</p><p>Through laughter Hope waved her hand, “No, no wait. Honestly. I’m telling you, Priya likes Lucas!” <em>Oh! That’s what this is about</em>.</p><p>Jess shook her head, “Doesn’t matter anyway, he friend-zoned her for sure,” she looked at Ibrahim, “She likes <em>you</em>. I promise.”</p><p>The golfer looked down into his drink, “I’m not so sure. <em>She</em> didn’t friend-zone <em>him</em>, did she?”</p><p>“Trust me, babe,” she reached out and touched his arm briefly.</p><p>Ibrahim smiled at her, “I don’t really know how to... start that chat with her. I know we kissed in the challenge yesterday but...”</p><p>“Awww… you can do it big guy! Get out there!” Jess pushed him towards the dance floor, where Priya was. Bobby agreed, he’d talked to Priya yesterday and she was 100% down. Invested. The way she’d talked about him was really cute actually.</p><p>Hope grabbed Ibrahim’s arm, “I’ll go with you,” she winked at him and dragged him off with her.</p><p>Jess watched them walk away then turned back and smiled up at Bobby, “So cute!”</p><p>He nodded, taking another gulp of water. For someone who didn’t want love for herself, she sure wanted it for other people.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at him, “On the water already? Can’t handle ya piss mate?” Fuck, sometimes she talked like a proper lad. He loved it for some reason.</p><p>He laughed, “Nae Lass, just hydrating. I could drink yeh under the table.”</p><p>“Big words, empty promises,” she spoke casually, but he didn’t miss the challenging look in her eyes. He was in. No hesitation.</p><p>“Right. What’s tae bet?”</p><p>She tapped her chin, “Loser makes breakfast. Hungover or not.”</p><p>He grinned at her and reached his hand out across the counter, “Deal.”</p><p>It would be super funny to watch her make breakfast in her grumpy morning state. He was looking forward to it. They might get told off by the producers, but that seemed like future Bobby’s problem, plus they seemed to not mind him and Jess drinking. Maybe it made for good telly?</p><p>She shook it but kept hold of his hand and pulled him lightly, so he had to walk around the counter to where she was sitting on the stool. He looked down at her, eyebrow raised. She smiled at him sweetly, “I want French toast.”</p><p>“I wannae full English.”</p><p>She grinned, wide and gorgeous as always, and said, “You sir, have yourself a deal.”</p><p>They walked over to the drinks bar, grabbed some wine, tequila and whiskey (plus water and chips; they were somewhat responsible at least) and set themselves up at the firepit, the haul between them. He poured a shot and they both drunk, staring at each other as they did. Her eyes still full of challenge. He loved it when she looked like that. Mostly because it immediately made his competitive side come out and he wanted to take her down.</p><p>Once they’d put their shot down, Jess smiled at him and poured them both a wine, “Ok, how about this? We play Never Have I Ever.”</p><p>He let out a bark of laughter, “Chickening out already Lass? Yer have to drink at the same time tae get yer French toast.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, “Hear me out ok. I have three reasons that make this a great idea,” she held up three fingers to illustrate her point. She was smiling wide and had that excited look in her eye. To be fair, he’d already say yes. <em>Why couldn’t he say no to this girl?</em></p><p>He raised an eyebrow at her and motioned for her to continue.</p><p>She giggled, “One. You have to play strategically right? Trying to figure out what the other person has and has not done is fun. I love mind games.”</p><p>He nodded at her “I agree so fer”</p><p>“Two. We have to say things we <em>have</em> done. That way the other person only gets off scot free if they <em>haven’t</em> done it. It’ll be ‘I Have’…”</p><p>“Not how yer play, but I’m with yeh.”</p><p>She threw her hands out in a grand fashion as she announced, “Finally, the kinkiest of us will ultimately be the loser.”</p><p>He laughed at her dramatics, “Hmmm… but that may work in yer favour Lass,” he told her slyly.</p><p>“Guess you’ll find out won’t ya?” she threw back with a wink.</p><p>He chuckled and they both took a sip, “Alright then. Let’s play.”</p><p>He stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed, pretending to try and figure out her secrets, but figured he’d just start off easy, not sure how intense she wanted this game to get, “I 'ave kissed a girl.”</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes and took a sip, “Lame start McKenzie. I have been to a strip club.”</p><p>They both drank and she smirked at winning. Though, it <em>was</em> a really easy guess.</p><p>“Right, let’s spice it up then, I 'ave had a threesome.”</p><p>“Hmm,” she took a big sip, indicating she had too, then studied him, “Two girls?”</p><p>“Yup,” He’d never do it again. He preferred to have his attention squarely focused on one girl at a time.</p><p>She smiled, pointed to herself and nonchalantly said, “All three.”</p><p>“Fuck off. Details.”</p><p>She winked at him, “Nope. My turn. I have <em>not</em> touched myself in the Villa,” He didn’t drink, causing her to roar with laughter.</p><p>Come on, what did she expect? She walked around in fucking tiny ass bikinis all day. Oops, he meant all the girls walked around like that. Not just Jess. <em>Yeah, but you don’t picture any other girl, do you?</em> Fuck. <em>Shut up brain</em>. It’s not like he <em>chooses</em> to think about her. She just pops up. Plus, it was only once. After Jess had woken him up by throwing a water bottle at his head, he’d gone back to sleep and she’d taken over his dreams. When he’d next awoken, he had a… situation… that he needed to care of.</p><p>Shaking off the memory, he scoffed at her, “Right then, yeh bloody shit, I ‘ave nae <em>kissed</em> anyone in the Villa.”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes, “Excluding challenges obviously?”</p><p>“Obviously.”</p><p>She drank.</p><p>“Bullshit.”</p><p>She shrugged, “Think what you want.”</p><p>“Even Lucas?” He was pretty sure Lucas had been lying to the boys the other day, but he had assumed they would have at some point by now. Especially after she’d been so mad at Rocco for picking her.</p><p>She glared at him, “Did I or did I not drink? I would not lie.”</p><p>He nodded at her. She wouldn’t. Briefly he wondered why he knew that about her without a doubt. Why he trusted her more than he’d ever trusted anyone before. It was odd.</p><p>“My turn, I have been a member of the mile-high club,” He didn’t drink, and she huffed.</p><p>“I ‘ave been… interrupted,” They both drank.</p><p>“I have been caught naked in public,” They both drank.</p><p>“Yer a cheat, yeh knew that,” he told her, and she smirked. He thought about it and said, “Wait, yeh weren’t caught when yeh went skinny dipping, right? Tell me <em>this</em> story Lass.”</p><p>She laughed and told him about the time her and her friends all decided to do a naked dance in the forest at some festival. She got lost and couldn’t find her clothes and she was just drunk enough to just walk back through the campsite to her tent, stark naked, head held high. Fucking impressive story. He admired her guts.</p><p>They carried on the game, Bobby getting more and more wasted, spilling more and more secrets and embarrassing stories, while Jess laughed and mocked him as his accent got worse and worse.</p><p>At one point he blinked, struggling to focus on her face while she smiled smugly at him. Though her eyes were glazed and a little unfocused, she seemed a lot more with it that he felt at that moment.</p><p>Shit, he was going to lose. He was an embarrassment to Scotland. Fuck.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. I wouldn’t be too cocky if I were you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Bobby is hungover (idiot).</p><p>My all time favourite character (to hate with the intensity of the running of the bulls) shows up. Yay. </p><p>Bobby paints Jess's nails for some unexplained reason (seriously, he can't explain why) and it gets... a little weird.</p><p>A secret kiss. A dumping. New couples. And Jess is over this shit. </p><p>Same girl, same. You know, if you just hooked up with Bobby at the start we could <i>all</i> be done with this shit by now. Just saying. This is on you.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bobby woke up feeling like absolute shit. He briefly remembered Jess trying to feed him last night before they’d gone to bed. Fuck, he must have lost. Groaning, he opened his eyes to find the room completely light. Struggling to sit up, he looked around. Everyone was up and all the beds were made. Shit.</p><p>He went to get his phone from his nightstand and saw there was a plate of French toast, a bottle of water and some pain killers.</p><p>A sticky note was on top of his phone:</p><p><em>Didn’t want you to fuck up my fave brekky.<br/></em> <em>Hope it doesn’t hurt too bad.</em><br/><em>Your ego, I mean.<br/></em> <em>Jess xx</em></p><p>She’d drawn a winking face in the corner. He laughed, and then immediately regretted it, the sound splitting his head. Grabbing the water, he chugged it down, along with the pain killers. <em>Much better.</em></p><p>He ripped off the post-it on his phone to check the time, but stopped, confused by the screensaver. It was a picture of him and Jess that they had taken last night; he’d forgotten about it. Both of them were clearly drunk, their eyes glassy and not focused, crinkled at the corners from their giant smiles as they looked directly into the camera. He had flung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close and her finger was on his nose, clearly just about to boop him. God damn it! He needed to step up his boop game ASAP.</p><p>He was taken aback by how happy they looked in the photo. Like they had zero fucks in the world. And also, he was surprised by how good they looked <em>together</em>. He had always assumed that she was so incredibly beautiful that, if they ever took a photo together, he would look like he was reaching. But he didn’t. They looked good together. It was a little weird.</p><p>He unlocked the screen and saw that it was 9am. Not too bad. He’d only overslept by about two hours. He grabbed the plate of food and wolfed it down. It was cold but he didn’t really mind, it felt great to eat something.</p><p>He got out of bed, had a shower, and threw on a pair of blue shorts. Donning his sunglasses as he stepped out into the sun to stop himself from squinting.</p><p>As soon as he was out in the Villa he heard Jess laughing, and immediately spotted her sitting on the daybeds with Gary. He sighed and headed over to rip the band-aid off. <em>Let’s get the mocking over with.</em></p><p>“Yo Bobby!” Gary said in a loud voice that hurt his head a bit.</p><p>Jess turned to look at him and giggled, patting the bed next to her. She looked pretty today; her hair tied back with wisps falling out around her face and a yellow flowery bikini on. It was a look that screamed innocent. He knew from last night’s game she most definitely was not.</p><p>He flopped down onto the bed face first and groaned.</p><p>Gary chuckled at him, “Big night huh?”</p><p>He moaned into the mattress. Now he was lying down, it was hard to move.</p><p>He felt Jess put her hands on his side and push him lightly to roll him over, laughing as she did. Even though her laugh was loud, it didn’t annoy him as much as it should have. He begrudgingly rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes to see the pair of them grinning down at him.</p><p>He narrowed his eyes at Jess, “’ow are yeh so perky?”</p><p>She smiled at him, “I got up like four hours ago. No one was awake to witness my misery. But trust me, it was hell.”</p><p>Gary chuckled beside her “You poor son of a bitch” he slapped his shoulder. Bobby winced at the contact, causing Jess to let out another laugh.</p><p>Jess leant down over him, still laughing and attempted a really bad version of his accent, “<em>I cane drink yeh unda tae table, Lass,</em>” she mocked, eyes sparkling at him in amusement. She was adorable when she was trying to be funny.</p><p>He put his hand on her face and gently pushed her away, causing her to grab his wrists in an effort to remove his hand from her face. She threw her head back laughing and Gary joined in.</p><p>“Shut up yeh two,” he groaned at them.</p><p>“Awww Bee, don’t be a grumpy shit,” Jess admonished him playfully.</p><p>“Like yeh can talk,” he mumbled.</p><p>Jess giggled and looked down at him again, “Awww, you’re feeling well enough to be an ass! So proud!”</p><p>She still hadn’t let go of his wrist, and instead was cradling his hand in both of hers, running her thumbs over the back of his hand with a little bit of pressure. It felt so fucking good that he wanted to just close his eyes so he could focus on the feeling.</p><p>Forcing down a groan, he attempted a smile at her, “Thanks fer breakfast.”</p><p>Jess shrugged, “Well, we <em>are</em> engaged, so I figured I had to take care of you.”</p><p>“Oi!” Gary piped up, “I tried that line on you earlier! Where’s <em>my</em> god damn breakfast?”</p><p>Jess laughed at Gary, “Bee is my favourite fiancé. And he’s clearly dying. Look at the poor baby!”</p><p>Gary narrowed his eyes at her, “You can’t pick favourites.”</p><p>“Sorry Gaz, already did.”</p><p>Bobby reached out with the hand Jess wasn’t massaging and half-heartedly gave Gary a pat on the arm, “Better luck next time mate.”</p><p>Jess let out a short laugh, “I wouldn’t be too cocky if I were you McKenzie. By my count you owe me two breakfasts.”</p><p>To be fair, he wouldn’t mind making her breakfast at all. He wouldn’t let her know that though; she’d run to the bank with that info.</p><p>Not wanting to tell her, he just groaned in response. To what she'd said. Not the massage. Obviously. Yeah.</p><p>Gary laughed at him, “Wanna know what happened last night mate? You were both pretty fucked…” Oh shit, did that mean something happened? Ugh. He did not want to know.</p><p>“Nae, I’ll watch it on tae telly.”</p><p>Jess dropped his hand, stopping the massage, almost causing him to whimper at the loss, and playfully smacked Gary as she said, “Don’t worry Bee, nothing happened, he’s just giving you shit.”</p><p>He opened an eye to look at her; she was being sincere. At least he hadn’t embarrassed himself last night. He hardly ever drunk like that anymore. He much preferred to stay at least a <em>little</em> in control.</p><p>“I had fun though,” she said, smiling at him.</p><p>Gary chuckled, “Yeah you kids were cackling away all night.”</p><p>Jess smiled at Gary, “I will say I was <em>particularly</em> on form last night, I impressed myself. Next time I’ll take you on Gaz.” <em>I would love to see that.</em></p><p>“Oh fuck no, I’m not that stupid,” he said while giving Bobby a shit-eating grin.</p><p>“Yeah yeah. I ‘ave learnt–”</p><p>“I got a text!” Hope practically screamed across the Villa. Fuck it hurt.</p><p>“Jesus Christ Hope!” Bobby moaned.</p><p>Both Gary and Jess started laughing. <em>Assholes</em>.</p><p>“Come on Bee,” Jess said, still laughing and grabbing his hands to drag him to his feet.</p><p>He groaned the whole way up and mumbled, “Better not be a physical challenge.”</p><p>Jess put her arm around him and started walking over to Hope. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Famous last words.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Boys, today you will be competing in an obstacle course. The two with the fastest time will win a date with a mystery new Islander. You can choose any of the girls to complete the course with. #mixitup #boysboysboys”</em>
</p><p>Jess and Gary almost pissed their pants laughing so hard as Hope announced the challenge. Bobby had made this sound that was like a baby crying and they could <em>not</em> get their shit together. Bobby glared at them the whole time, not finding it amusing at all.</p><p><em>Note to self: grumpy when hungover.</em> She loved this side to him. It was a nice change from do-whatever-it-takes-to-piss-Jess-off Bobby. Not that she really minded that side to him either to be fair.</p><p>She was having a great day so far. Despite the sting in the back of her head that occasionally reminded her she <em>barely</em> took the win last night. Fuck she'd been so drunk. Never again. Well, at least not here.</p><p>Her and Gary dragged Bobby over to the challenge area and when they got there, he stopped dead, <em>“Fuck off,”</em> was all he said, and it set them off laughing again.</p><p>Everyone else was a little annoyed with them laughing so much, but seriously? Could no one else see how much pain Bobby was in? This was going to be amazing.</p><p>The challenge area had a series of obstacle courses laid out. Hope read out the instructions. First the boys had to pick up their girl of choice, carry her across the pitch to the wheelbarrow, and zig zag around some cones. Then he had to hoist her up and carry her across a paddling pool that was filled with soap and water, while the other islanders could throw water balloons at them. Once on the other side she had to sit on a chair that had a tank full of mud above it and a timer attached, reading one minute. Each boy needed to climb the climbing wall and press the button at the top before the timer ran out, if he didn’t, the girl would be covered in mud and he would be disqualified. If they managed to complete it, the two boys with the fastest time would win a date.</p><p>Bobby’s phone went off, “Nae, fuck off I’m first,” he grumbled, which made her snigger loudly.</p><p>Bobby glared at her and yelled, “Just fer that, yer up Jess and I’m nae even gonna <em>try</em> to stop yeh getting muddy.”</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes and walked to join him at the starting line, whispering, “Hannah is the smallest girl here, you should have picked her you idiot.”</p><p>“Aye, but <em>yeh</em> would nae sabotage my chances.”</p><p>“How do ya know I didn’t already?” she whispered, raising an eyebrow at him, “Who’s idea was it to get drunk last night?”</p><p>He laughed and then winced at the sound, “Alright, let’s get this ova with,” he muttered despondently.</p><p>The buzzer went off to signal the start of the race. Jess found herself swept up by Bobby bridal style. She buried her face in his chest to stop herself from laughing and also because she thought the less she moved, the better for him. He was actually surprisingly strong and didn’t seem to be straining too much.</p><p>He made it across to the wheelbarrow where he unceremoniously dumped her in, before picking it up and weaving her through the course. Oh shit, she was going to be sick.</p><p>When they got to the end Bobby came round the front of the wheelbarrow, hands on his knees, looking like he was also going to be sick from the twists and turns they’d had to make. She frowned and reached a hand out to his arm as she shimmied out of the wheelbarrow, “You OK?” she asked, actually really concerned for him.</p><p>He gave her a small smile, “I’m starting tae think the breakfast this morning was also part of yeh sabotage plan.”</p><p>She laughed loudly and he grabbed her again, making their way to where the other Islanders were taunting and cheering at them. He put a foot in the water and almost slipped, jarring her.</p><p>She looked up at him, eyes wide, “Do <em>not</em> drop me Bobby.”</p><p>“Fuck, nae promises Lass,” as said through gritted teeth as he continued slipping and sliding along the pool.</p><p>Jess looked at the others and just as she saw Gary, he threw a balloon that landed right in her face, “You little fucker!” she yelled at him, laughing as she did.</p><p>Gary was bent over laughing and she caught Lucas’ eye. Her was smiling at her sweetly while he half-heartedly threw balloons, clearly not wanting to actually get her. He winked at her and she smiled back at him. Cute.</p><p>They reached the end without slipping and Bobby put her in the chair. As soon as he did, they could hear the timer start counting down. Bobby stood there, standing over her, not even attempting to move and smiling at her with a mischievous grin.</p><p>“Don’t you <em>dare</em> McKenzie!”</p><p>He smiled wider at her.</p><p>“Bobby… come on!” she whined at him, which only made him stand up and laugh. She didn’t really mind getting muddy, but she didn’t want to get muddy on <em>purpose</em>. Just because Bobby was in a vengeful mood. She hadn’t even done anything!</p><p>“What if this girl is the girl of your dreams?” she tried bargaining with him.</p><p>He chuckled at her but turned and started climbing the wall. She watched him clear the wall in no time at all. Jesus, she would not have guessed it. She stared, a little entranced by how his back muscles flexed. The sun glistening off his skin, catching on the light sheen of sweat. It was very… hot. She meant the sun, obviously. Definitely not Bobby… Ah, fuck.</p><p>He got to the top and they both looked at the timer. Ten seconds. He hovered his hand over the button and smirked down at her.</p><p>She wasn’t going to play his stupid game this time. She crossed her arms and turned away, counting the seconds in her head, and bracing for the mud. <em>That fucker.</em></p><p>Bobby chuckled loudly. He hit the button before the timer went off and another buzzer sounded. The others all cheered Bobby’s win. She huffed and stomped over to where the girls stood waiting for the next boy up.</p><p>She could hear Bobby laughing and high-fiving the boys and when they’d all calmed down she looked over to see him grinning at her. Full face lit up. Her favourite smile of his. She held back a smile of her own and instead glared at him.</p><p>Lucas announced he was up next. He looked at Jess and gave her a regretful smile before announcing he’d take Hannah, because she was the smallest.</p><p>Jess looked over at Bobby immediately and gave him a look that said ‘see, that’s how you play to win’. He winked at her and everyone got into positions.</p><p>She grabbed a few water balloons, ready to pelt them at Lucas and Hannah when they got to the paddling pool. As she walked over to take up a position, she walked past Bobby and slammed a water balloon onto his head. He yelped in shock. It was so satisfying. She giggled all the way to her spot between Ibrahim and Noah. <em>That's what you get.</em></p><p>The rest of the boys all had a go. Noah was the funniest, his long legs making him a little unbalanced in the pool, and him and Hope completely assed over. Ibrahim was the most impressive. He chose Priya, the tallest girl here, and absolutely aced the course. Jess had told him that he’d been amazing, and he’d blushed at her. Rocco chose Marisol, but he didn’t put much effort in the race at all, choosing to fuck around so much everyone decided to disqualify him. Which he promptly celebrated by making out with Marisol. At least he was having fun. Both Gary and Henrik had chosen Lottie and she’d complained the whole time about her makeup, causing Gary to get frustrated and purposefully wait out the time so the mud was dumped onto her. She was <em>pissed</em>. Jess thought it was hilarious though and gave Gary a high-five while Lottie seethed and glared at them both.</p><p>Jess was still trying to hold back laughter as she read the text announcing the winners “The boys going on the mystery date are… Ibrahim and Lucas!” She read out, high-fiving both the boys.</p><p>Lucas immediately grabbed her and pulled her to the side, an arm around her waist and face looking down into hers with concern.</p><p>“Um, are you OK with me going on a date?”</p><p>She frowned at him, “Of course babe! It will be fun.”</p><p>“Are you not even a little jealous?” he asked, clearly annoyed by her response.</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the cheek, “I’m not the jealous type. If you like this girl more, there is nothing I can do about it”</p><p>He nodded slowly, “What if you found someone you like more?”</p><p>“Babe, that's not happening today.” </p><p>His grip on her waist tightened and he groaned in frustration, “We better be coupled up soon.”</p><p>She giggled and said, “We will,” before slipping out of his hold. She gave him a little push and a wink, “Go get hot for your date babe!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After the challenge, Bobby had plopped down on a beanbag and hadn’t moved pretty much all day. He’d had a short nap but Jess, Lottie and Priya had eventually come over to join him. Jess sat on a bag next to his and had somehow convinced him to paint her toenails. He still wasn’t quite sure how; there were several toe-related gags hurled at his expense. And yet he had <em>still</em> said yes. Was he whipped? Yeah, probably. Fuck.</p><p>Either way, he had eventually given in and her feet were now de-heeled and resting in his lap. She lay back, arm thrown over her face to shield her eyes, while he tried desperately to concentrate. Fuck, he was doing an awful job. Occasionally he’d laugh and she’d raise her head to look at her toes and laugh too, but then would go back to lying down. Giving no fucks whatsoever to the fact that the polish was all over her feet at this point.</p><p>Priya and Lottie were sat opposite them in their own beanbags and Priya was painting Lottie’s fingernails, while Lottie was micromanaging her. He was glad he’d ended up with Jess’s nails, not Lottie’s.</p><p>“So Jess...” Priya suddenly said.</p><p>“Mmmm?”</p><p>“How do you feel about Lucas going on a date?”</p><p>“It’s cool with me,” Jess shrugged without looking up.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Mmmhhmm.”</p><p>He chuckled quietly to himself. Jess was clearly in a chill mood right now.</p><p>“What if he has his head turned?”</p><p>Jess slowly lifted her arm off her face and turned her head to the side to look at Priya, “Then he has his head turned,” she replied casually.</p><p>Priya looked surprised, “So you’re <em>really</em> not worried about this new girl coming in and stealing Lucas from you? She could be strong competition.”</p><p>Jess laughed, “First, if he doesn’t want me, it’s his loss not mine,” she pointed a finger at Priya, “Same goes for both of you.”</p><p>“Hear hear,” Lottie chimed in.</p><p>“Second,” Jess continued, “This new girl is <em>not</em> my competition.”</p><p>“Bit bold,” Bobby said. Jess was confident but it felt a little overconfident to just assume any new girl wasn’t going to be competition for her. They all had fierce competition in here.</p><p>Jess raised her head to look at him, “What I mean is, what me and Lucas have is completely separate from what Lucas and the new girl might have. Me and this girl are not competing against <em>each other</em> for Lucas. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing with him, aka being myself, and they can crack on too if they want. At the end of the day it <em>is</em> Lucas’s choice. If he wants to be with this girl, it isn’t because she beat me. I didn’t lose a game. It’s because they have a better connection. How can I be mad about that?”</p><p>She lay back down on the daybed and put her arm back over her face. Everyone was quiet for a few moments, going back to their nails.</p><p>Eventually Lottie said, “I admire that.”</p><p>“Mmmm,” from Jess.</p><p>“You know…” Priya mused, looking at Jess with an inquisitive stare, “For someone dead set against love, you sure do seem to have your head on straight about it all.”</p><p>“Ha! Maybe that’s why I can look at it so objectively,” Jess giggled, “It’s different when you actually have feelings. You get all crazy and it’s hard to stick to what you know is right.”</p><p>“Are you saying you don’t have feelings for Lucas?” Lottie asked. Bobby was a little intrigued to hear the answer too.</p><p>Jess laughed, “On the contrary, I have very strong feelings… mostly about his tongue being down my throat soon.”</p><p>“Jess!” Priya laughed.</p><p>“What? I’d take other parts of him too.”</p><p>Priya doubled over laughing, dropping Lottie’s hand for a moment, “Stop it Jess!”</p><p>Bobby shifted a little uncomfortably. He had lots of friends who were girls, so he’d been in loads of conversations just like this and it hadn’t bothered him before. He wasn’t sure why Jess talking about Lucas like that made him wish he was not here right now. He knew she was only saying it for a laugh, but still.</p><p>Lottie smirked, “Still not lip locked that bad boy?”</p><p>Jess shrugged and muttered bitterly, “You know me, just like to live in physical pain.”</p><p>“Mmmm… I don’t know if I could resist” Priya mused.</p><p>“I don’t know how I have,” Jess sighed, “I mean, I set myself up right at the beginning by announcing my convictions and now… even though Rocco &amp; Marisol are hooking up, it just seems like I’d be a massive hypocrite if I was like ‘Oh Lucas, you know how I said we can’t make out till we’re coupled up? Well I’m feeling horny so, fuck it’. Trust me, I regret it.”</p><p>The girls burst out into laughter.</p><p>Bobby’s mind flashed back to their game last night and decided to tease her, “You know… there is a way yeh could... <em>take care</em> of yeh problem…” he trailed off.</p><p>She lent up on her elbows and smirked at him, “Oh I know all about how <em>you</em> take care of your problems in the Villa, Bee.”</p><p>He grinned at her, “Just a suggestion Lass. Take tae edge off.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes and fell back down, “You just want tickets to the show.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t say nae.”</p><p>Priya looked between the two of them, “What are you talking about?” <em>It's not like it's that hard to work out...</em></p><p>Jess moved a hand up to dramatically tap her nose.</p><p>Lottie smirked and whispered something to Priya, who blushed and avoided eye contact with Bobby. He chuckled to himself. They all fell back into silence for a moment.</p><p>Priya nervously said, “Well… I’m a little worried… about Ibrahim.”</p><p>“Speaking of, what happened last night?” Jess asked, turning to look at Priya.</p><p>Priya blushed, “Oh um… just… some things.”</p><p>Lottie gasped, “Shut up! Bits?”</p><p>Priya bit her lip but nodded.</p><p>“Big or little?” Lottie pressed.</p><p>“Maybe the first…” Priya trailed off with a giggle.</p><p>“No fucking way!” Lottie said, giving her a high five.</p><p>Jess laughed, “Wait, wait, again, Priya. <em>Big or little</em>?” she gave her a meaningful look.</p><p>“No! <em>Dinnae</em> want to hear this!” Bobby jumped in, just as Priya was lifting her hands.</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes at him.</p><p>Jess smirked, “Want us to ask you the same thing?”</p><p>Bobby squeezed her foot, “The only way yer gonna find out is if yeh show me yers first.”</p><p>Jess put her finger to her chin, pretending to think about it. She met his gaze with a challenging stare, “Deal.”</p><p>Bobby swallowed. She can’t be fucking serious right? Jess shifted her feet out of his lap so she could sit up in her beanbag. She slowly moved her hands to the band of her bikini top, shimmying it a bit. Time slowed down as they stared at each other. His face a mixture of shock and fear, hers flirty and seductive. Fuck. Fuck. She slowly raised her arms, only very slightly lifting her top. He didn’t dare break eye contact with her. She wasn’t going to do it. Was she?</p><p>Then she burst out laughing and the other girls joined in. He rolled his eyes at her and grabbed her foot, tugging her back into a lying position, while she continued laughing her head off. Fuck.</p><p>“Oh shit Bee!” she gasped, “Your face! You were so terrified!!” He didn’t say anything. He was still thinking about the part of him that wanted her to do it. And trying to convince his imagination to stop filling in the blanks.</p><p>Once they calmed down a bit, Jess lifted her head and smiled at him, “I’m actually really impressed that you didn’t once look down.”</p><p>“Yer like my sister,” he mumbled. It wasn’t true but what else could he say? <em>Please actually show me your breasts because I’d be dead interested.</em> Yeah, that wasn’t going to fly.</p><p>Jess’s face flickered with annoyance for a moment, but she turned her attention to Priya, “So… good?”</p><p>Priya brightened up, “<em>Reeeaaallllyyyy</em> good.”</p><p>Bobby groaned, “Do I <em>have</em> tae hear about this?”</p><p>Jess giggled and whispered, actually quietly for once, while the girls were distracted with their sex talk, “Dunno, do you need some tips?”</p><p>He smirked at her, staring at her as he casually slid his hand up her leg until it was mid-thigh, then twist his hand expertly so his fingers brushed her inner thigh, reeeallly high up. Not <em>that</em> high, but definitely millimetres away.</p><p>“Nope,” he laughed as he watched her face flush and eyes darken slightly. Ok, he hadn’t seen that look before.</p><p>Jess grinned at him, but her voice was slightly husky, “Oh shit, McKenzie has moves huh?”</p><p>He winked at her and moved his hand back to her feet.</p><p>She tilted her head at him and mouthed ‘same’. Giving him absolutely no time to stop her from dropping her foot into his lap and running her toes along his crotch. Fuck. He couldn’t help the shot of desire that flooded through him. He was just a man. He grabbed her ankle and held it up while he glared at her.</p><p>She put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing too loudly but it didn’t work. Eventually he joined in and the other girls gave them the side eye before going back to what they were doing.</p><p>Jess scooted back in her bag, putting her feet on the floor, and leant over, “Messing with you is so much fun.”</p><p>He smiled at her, “I like messing with yeh too Lass.”</p><p>Eyes sparkling, she joked, “As long as we’re not <em>messing around.</em>”</p><p>He chuckled and lifted his hand for a high-five.</p><p>“Right,” he said loudly as he jumped to his feet, “I’m going fer a swim.”</p><p>“Thank for doing my nails Bee!” Jess smiled up at him.</p><p>He looked down at her feet; they were fucked. He'd done a truly awful job.</p><p>“Yeh should probably wear closed shoes tonight.”</p><p>The girls all looked at her feet and burst into laughter while he ran off to the pool.</p><p>He needed to cool down. Asap.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess laughed again as she put on her shoes. She had chosen open-toed shoes tonight, showing off Bobby’s… well, terrible job of painting her nails. She stood up and smoothed out her dress – a white long-sleeved wrap dress that was incredibly short, but comfortable. Even if her cleavage was once again on display. Oh well, she had to admit that the white showed off the tan she had gotten incredibly well. <em>Noted.</em></p><p>Earlier that day the boys had come back in with a girl called Jo. She had short blonde hair and a rather sporty look about her, which made sense because she was a professional BMX racer… or something like that. She talked an awful lot, and it was hard to concentrate or remember the details when there is so much fluff in between. She hoped it was just nerves and they could have a real chat later tonight.</p><p>Basically, in thirty seconds or less of meeting her, Jess had surmised that she probably wasn’t Lucas’s type, but she might be Ibrahim’s. Apparently Priya thought the same and had asked her to find out what happened on the date from the golfer himself.</p><p>That’s where she was off to now. She left the girls in the dressing room, all freaking out about what this new arrival meant and how there were now two singles in the Villa, and walked down the stairs. Blah Blah Blah. Jess thought. Honestly, at this point she felt like she’d been here long enough to say she’d given it a shot. She wouldn’t mind getting out of here and back to her real life. Where people talked about normal things. And she wasn’t having super weird thoughts about her friends. And those friends’ hands on her thighs. Nope. Not going there.</p><p>Especially because that friend thought of her like a sister. <em>A fucking sister?!</em> Like, ok, sure, they weren’t going to be more than friends but, <em>come on</em>. Sister?! She found him super attractive and he… thought of her like a sister! <em>Oh my fuck. His sister!!!!</em> She scoffed out loud. <em>Fucking bullshit.</em> She needed to stop thinking about it. The longer she did; the angrier she got. Though, at least the anger masked the small twinge of sadness she felt in her chest.</p><p>Right, back to her mission. Thankfully when she walked outside, she spotted Ibrahim sitting by himself by the pool. Fucking perfect! She headed straight over there – stopping briefly to give Lucas a kiss on the cheek as she walked past him. Mostly because he had tried to interrupt her. Could he not see she had her ‘I’m on a mission’ face? Luckily Bobby was there and had laughingly told him ‘There’s no stopping her when she looks like that mate’. Well, thank fuck for her <em>brother</em>. Ugh. <em>Stop thinking about it, you're becoming bitter, real quick.</em></p><p>She plopped herself down next to Ibrahim, who looked surprised to see her.</p><p>“Hey Jess,” he smiled at her.</p><p>“My man Rahim, what’s the haps?” <em>Wow, that was really casual. Great work there.</em></p><p>He frowned at her for a second then shrugged sadly, “Nothing, just thinking”</p><p>“Anything I can help with?”</p><p>“Nah not really…”</p><p>“Ok sure. But, just so you know, you can talk to me.”</p><p>“Yeah?” he said, looking into her eyes for something.</p><p>“Yeah. No judgement here babes.”</p><p>He smiled gratefully at her “Well, I guess, I went on that date earlier…”</p><p>“Did you have fun?” she smiled broadly at him.</p><p>“Yes. No. I mean, yeah, I did. Jo is great,” he stumbled, blushing slightly.</p><p>“Is she? I’m glad you got along!” Jess kept it light, despite the feeling of impending doom.</p><p>“Yeah, same. It’s always awkward isn’t it?”</p><p>“Yes! First dates are the worst!” she giggled, and he joined in.</p><p>Jess sighed, may as well ask the big question, “So tell me, where’s your head at?”</p><p>Ibrahim looked down at the water, “Nothing is happening with Marisol…”</p><p>“Yeah, no shit,” she laughed. <em>Oops, probably could have been nicer about that.</em></p><p>“Ha. Yeah… but then there’s Priya…”</p><p>“Who you like…?”</p><p>“I think so,” he frowned, still not looking her in the eyes.</p><p>“You think so?”</p><p>Ibrahim stared off into the distance. Jess had a really bad feeling about this. Fuck. Shit. This is <em>not</em> going to be good.</p><p>“So what happened on the date?” she pressed.</p><p>Ibrahim snapped his eyes to hers, “What makes you think something happened on the date?”</p><p>She raised her eyebrow at him. <em>Um, maybe because I’m not an idiot?</em></p><p>He cleared his throat, “Er, well… she kissed me” <em>Fuuuck.</em></p><p>Jess threw her head back and stared at the stars for a moment. Great, there was going to be more drama.</p><p>Ibrahim filled the silence with jumbled words, “I know. It’s so messed up. Priya will hate me. I should have, well, I didn’t really–”</p><p>Jess threw her hand up to cut him off, “Chill out Rahim, these things happen. But you might want to tell Priya... you know, before it get's around the Villa”</p><p>He nodded slowly, then his expression looked sad, “Did I fuck up?”</p><p>She screwed up her face for a second, “I dunno. Priya's going to be hurt whatever happens from here, so there isn't much point dwelling on it. Probably best to just figure out what you want to do.”</p><p>He smiled at her, “Thanks Jess. I’m going to tell her about –”</p><p>“<em>SHE DID WHAT?!</em>” They heard Priya scream.</p><p>Ibrahim and Jess turned and looked at each other with wide eyes.</p><p>“Fuck,” Jess said.</p><p>“Yup,” Ibrahim nodded.</p><p>They both turned to watch as Priya came storming out of the Villa, followed by Lucas, towards where Jo was currently standing in the kitchen with some of the boys. Jess jumped up immediately and ran over to try head her off.</p><p>She managed to get to Priya just before she reached the kitchen, but it wasn’t much help. Priya stood there yelling at Jo “I cannot believe you! You absolute–”</p><p>“Priya! Let’s just calm down OK?” Jess pleaded, grabbing her hands and trying to get her attention.</p><p>“Calm down?! Are you serious Jess? Do you know what she <em>did?”</em> Priya yelled down to Jess, her eyes blazing with pure anger. For a second Jess was impressed by Priya’s death stare. Not enough to be intimidated by it, but damn girl!</p><p>“Yes but–”</p><p>“What did I do?” Jo squeaked out, cutting Jess off. <em>Girl, stop talking and let me help you here.</em></p><p>Priya looked at her incredulously, “You know exactly what you did!”</p><p>“I didn’t do anything!” the blonde screamed back.</p><p>Bobby held his hands up between the two of them, “Woah, let’s just calm down.”</p><p>Priya flicked her hair at Bobby, “Stay out of it Bobby,” she turned back to Jo, “Stop fucking lying!”</p><p>Jo looked like a rabbit in headlights, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>Just as Jess was about to step in a shut this down, Priya yelled, “Lucas told me what happened on your date!”</p><p>Jess was immediately distracted, no longer paying attention to whatever was being said. She swung her gaze to Lucas who was watching what was happening like he didn’t really care that he’d started all this drama. Is this a fucking joke to him?</p><p>Gary must have noticed Jess's glare because he hissed between his teeth and muttered something about Lucas being in for it. Lucas heard his name and looked at her, at least having the decency to look sheepish. <em>Fuck. Ok, one thing at a time.</em></p><p>Swinging back around, Jess tuned back in to the fight just as Jo yelled, “I didn’t kiss him!”</p><p><em>Oh fuck no.</em> She was ready and willing to stop Priya from tearing Jo a new one but there was one thing she hated more than anything else. Fucking liars. Her blood boiled.</p><p>Jess walked up to Jo and something about the look on her face must have made the boys worried because Bobby stepped forward and tried to cut her off, but she side-stepped so she could look Jo in the face. His hand on her arm calmed some of the rage flowing through her, but not enough.</p><p>Jess lowered her tone, speaking in a quiet and controlled manner. Everyone stopped and stared at her as she spoke. If Jess wasn’t so angry, she might have laughed about it.</p><p>“Jo, I understand you're in an awkward position right now, but that doesn't mean you can lie. If I were you, I'd shut the fuck up and let me handle this.”</p><p>“I’m <em>not lying</em>! I didn’t kiss him. I have no idea what she is even talk–” Jo started.</p><p>"Ibrahim, sorry, can you clear this up so we can move on?" Jess asked, still not breaking eye contact with Jo, who, all of a sudden, looked panicked. <em>Yeah bitch, I know. Haven't you heard? I know everything around here.</em></p><p>Ibrahim muttered quietly, “It’s true,” and hung his head, not looking Priya in the eyes. She felt a bit bad for calling him out, but he probably should have stepped in sooner. You know, seeing as he was the one who technically cheated on both his partner <em>and</em> the girl he was fucking. Well, kind of. It was still only Love Island so, like, grain of salt or whatever.</p><p>Jess continued on in the same tone as before, “Right. Now listen carefully, I will <em>not</em> tolerate disrespect. How <em>dare</em> you stand there and <em>vehemently</em> lie to everyone here. We all live together and there has to be <em>some</em> level of trust and respect. So here's my advice: if you fuck up; own it. There's no need to lie about it; that's what toddlers do when they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar. I had kind of hoped we were all a little beyond <em>that.</em>”</p><p>Jess turned on her heel, grabbing a sobbing Priya by the arm and gently leading her away from that absolute lying piece of shit. <em>Woah, ok, probably take it down a notch there.</em> Something about lying just always rubbed her the wrong way. It's why she usually never did.</p><p>She dragged Priya up to the rooftop and sat her down on the bed, wrapping her arms around her while she cried. Priya tried talking through sobs but nothing was really making it out, so Jess just sat there, rubbing her back and whispering comforting words in her ear.</p><p>When she’d calmed down enough to speak, Jess’s fucking heart broke for the poor girl, “I didn’t think he’d do that to me. The next day!” <em>Asshole.</em></p><p>“I’m sorry babe,” Literally, what else could she say?</p><p>“He kissed her…” Priya asked, pulling back and wiping her face.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sorry. He told me. He said he was going to talk to you but then Lucas…” <em>Another asshole.</em> <em>Was this Villa filled with them?</em></p><p>Priya let out a little laugh, “I guess he tried.”</p><p>“Better than not…”</p><p>Priya screwed her face up, “Am I going about this the wrong way? I can’t seem to hold a man down in here.”</p><p>Jess stroked her arm, “No babe, they’re not worth your time. You’ve just got to find the right man. You’re worth far more than all this bullshit.”</p><p>“Yeah but <em>three</em>. That’s got to be a Villa record.” <em>What? Three?</em></p><p>“Wait, who’s the third?”</p><p>“Oh, Bobby,” Priya said, waving a hand dismissively.</p><p>“Oh,” Jess stayed quiet, utterly confused about what she meant. Did she like Bobby? What was the problem? Did Bobby not like her? She was gorgeous, he thought so too, Jess knew he did. Maybe he was doing that thing where he friend-zoned girls too early. </p><p>She was trying to figure out whether she should step in and help, or let it play out, when Priya interrupted her thoughts with a small, self pitying laugh, “Being a girl sucks.”</p><p>“Ugh! Being <em>human</em> sucks!”</p><p>Priya went quiet for a moment then said, “I’d be a bird.”</p><p>“Hmmm… a dolphin. Or maybe an octopus.”</p><p>“Breathing underwater would be cool,” Priya agreed.</p><p>“Flying would be badass,” Jess giggled.</p><p>There was a knock at the door. Hannah poked her head around and said, “Oh, um, we got a text…” she didn’t look too happy about it.</p><p>“What’s up?” Jess asked.</p><p>“We have to go to the firepit. Now,” she gave them a sympathetic look and left.</p><p>Jess jumped up, grabbing Priya’s hand and pulling her to her feet, “Right. You got this shit girl!”</p><p>“I got this! That boy isn’t worth shit!” she said determinedly. <em>That’s my girl.</em></p><p>“Preach! I got your back, no matter what happens,” Jess smiled.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Everyone sat around the firepit nervously. Well, everyone except Jess, as per usual. Bobby looked over at her as she sat there smiling and chatting to Rocco. It made him wonder if she was the one sitting next to him, would she be able to calm <em>his</em> nerves? Maybe they would calm each other? He had definitely noticed how when he’d touched her earlier, a little bit of fire had gone out of her eyes. Apparently not enough for her to not use a demon voice to reprimand Jo. After she’d left, everyone had officially agreed; Jess was the Villa mum. No one wanted to piss her off.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Gary looked at his phone and read out the text, sounding as petrified as everyone looked, “Islanders, the public have been voting for their least favourite boys, who will now be vulnerable. If your name is called out, please stand up. The bottom two boys are…”</p><p>Lottie gave Bobby a comforting squeeze and he smiled at her.</p><p>Noah pulled out his phone, “Rocco.”</p><p>Jess frowned and pulled Rocco into a hug immediately. As he stood up, she did too, putting her arm around him and leaning her head on his shoulder. Bobby was not in the least bit surprised that Jess was going to refuse to let him stand alone.</p><p>Hannah read out, “And Ibrahim.”</p><p>Marisol patted Ibrahim’s arm as he stood up, but she was hyper focused on Rocco.</p><p>They sat in silence for what felt like forever. No one daring to talk.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hope pulled out her phone, “What the public didn’t know is that the <em>girls</em> these boys are coupled up with are now also vulnerable. Jess and Marisol, please stand up and await your fate.”</p><p>Everyone gasped and looked at the two girls, but Jess shrugged, still standing with her arm around Rocco, and said, “Already am”, which made a few people chuckle.</p><p>Bobby’s stomach had dropped to his feet. He didn’t want Jess to go home. No way could he stand these crazy people if she did. Who would he cook with? Who would he laugh with? Who would drive him up the wall?</p><p>Jess caught Bobby’s eye and winked at him. <em>Seriously? She's is at risk of going home and she’s standing around like she’s playing fucking Candy Land?</em></p><p>Gary sucked his breath through his teeth and muttered, “This is intense.”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Priya gasped as she read out the text “Islanders, you will now decide the fate of these two couples. Boys, you will choose which girl you want to stay; Marisol or Jess. The girl chosen will couple up with Henrik. Girls, you will choose the boy you want to stay; Ibrahim or Rocco. The boy chosen will couple up with Jo. You have thirty minutes to decide, as a group, who stays and who goes #dday #choosewisely.”</p><p>Everyone looked around at each other shocked.</p><p>Jess just smiled at the other couple and quietly said, “Let’s go,” grabbing Rocco and Marisol’s hand and nodding at Ibrahim as they all walked off to the daybeds</p><p>The boys and girls separated into groups, huddling at opposite ends of the firepit. The boys looked tired. Bobby imagined he looked just as bad as the rest of them.</p><p>Noah groaned, “I don’t want to do this.”</p><p>Gary gave him a small smile, “Neither. But we have to mate.”</p><p>Lucas piped up, “Should we call it out? Just say who we want to stay, gut feel? We can discuss pros and cons later.”</p><p>Noah nodded, “That’s a good idea. Who wants to start?”</p><p>Lucas said, “Jess.”</p><p>“Jess,” groaned Gary.</p><p>“Jess,” shrugged Henrik.</p><p>Noah smiled sadly, “Yeah, Jess.”</p><p>“Fuck,” Bobby said quietly.</p><p>“That’s balls,” Gary said, putting his face in his hands. Bobby agreed; no one was fighting for Marisol.</p><p>The boys carried on talking but Bobby tuned out and looked around at the girls. Priya and Jo were arguing while the other girls were listening. He caught Lottie’s eye and she gave him a small smile. Ibrahim’s chances were not looking good right? After the kiss earlier today, Priya would want him to leave and the girls are more likely to side with her right? Rocco will probably stay.</p><p>He looked across the Villa. Jess and Ibrahim were standing in the middle of the lawn, chatting. He could see Jess’s face, lit up by the lights around her. She looked happy. Like she wasn’t worried. Was she confident she was going to stay? Or did she not care about going home? She’d told them all so many times that she hadn’t wanted to be here. That she wasn’t looking for love. And there she was, on the edge of going home, not fazed. On the flip side, Marisol and Rocco were cuddled up on a daybed, hugging and chatting. They looked fucking miserable.</p><p>It came down on him like a ton of bricks. He had to try send Jess home.</p><p>Bobby groaned, long and loud, “This is Love Island. We should keep the girl who is most likely tae find love. That’s Marisol, right?”</p><p>Noah and Gary reluctantly nodded.</p><p>Lucas smirked, “I disagree with that. We have a connection; she could easily love me.”</p><p>Bobby stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Barely.</p><p>“So do Marisol and Rocco.”</p><p>Lucas glared, “He’s on the chopping block too.”</p><p>“Dinnae mean he’s going home and even if Rocco left, Marisol still deserves tae stay. Her dream guy could walk in tomorrow. None of yeh have given her a chance.”</p><p>“You didn’t either,” Gary said defensively.</p><p>“Aye, but I also have nae given <em>any</em> girl a shot. I should be up fer the vote.”</p><p>“We’re agreed on that,” Lucas mumbled under his breath. <em>Dick.</em></p><p>Henrik slapped Bobby on the back, “Nah, bud. You’re cool. Everyone wants you to stay.” <em>Like who?</em></p><p>Lucas smiled suddenly, “Yeah, they probably want Jess to stay too. The public will be pissed if she goes.”</p><p>Noah sighed, “It’s not the public’s choice.”</p><p>“Exactly, it's ours and we <em>have</em> tae send Jess home. It’s the right thing tae do and I think it’s the choice she would make too.”</p><p>Lucas scoffed, “You think you know Jess so well. But you don’t.”</p><p>“Aye, I knae her a fuck tonne more–”</p><p>Noah cut him off by putting a hand firmly on his shoulder, “I’m sorry Bobby, we’re all pretty much unanimous.”</p><p>He looked around them all incredulously as they nodded at him, “So that’s it? Nae more chat? Jess stays because we like her more? What ‘bout who deserves this more?”</p><p>Gary shrugged, “Mate, I’m not voting for her to leave.”</p><p>Noah smiled sadly, “Neither.”</p><p>“Obviously, I’m not,” Lucas smirked.</p><p>Bobby looked at Henrik, not that his opinion would make a difference anyway, he was already outvoted. Henrik smiled at him and gave a sheepish look, “I mean, I’m going to be coupled up with whoever stays so… Jess is my choice.”</p><p>Fuck. Bobby threw his head back in frustration. They were making the wrong choice, but there was nothing he could do.</p><p>He sighed, “I wannae make the speech.”</p><p>Gary perked up, “Better you than me!”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hope stood up and yelled, “It’s time.”</p><p>Bobby watched as Jess brought Rocco, Marisol and Ibrahim in for a group hug, before they all walked back. Jess took Marisol’s hand, whispering something in her ear as the girls took up position in front of the boys, and the two boys stood in front of the girls.</p><p>Bobby looked at his phone. He was up first. Shit.</p><p>He slowly got to his feet and made eye contact with Jess. She gave him a broad and encouraging smile. Guilt ran through him. He could see it in her eyes - she thought she was going home, and she was proud of their decision. Fuck.</p><p>He broke eye contact and looked at Marisol. She gave him a sad smile. She looked tired underneath the brave façade she was trying to put on. <em>Why did you volunteer to do this again? Right. Find the words Bobby.</em></p><p>He cleared his throat, “This was an incredibly tough decision–”</p><p>Lucas huffed next to him and Bobby paused to glare at him. <em>No need to be a tosser about it.</em></p><p>He continued on, “In front of me are two absolutely amazing girls. Yeh both know if I could have chosen yeh both to stay, I would have. We <em>all</em> would have. Marisol, in yer time here, yer have been true to yerself and been such a great part of our group. I could not imagine being here without yeh; yer one of a kind and absolutely flame emoji!”</p><p>She gave him a warm smile.</p><p>“Jess, yer alright, and nobody would miss yeh if you left”</p><p>Jess let out a loud laugh, her eyes sparkling in the firelight as she looked at him affectionately. Fuck. <em>Don’t hate me too much.</em></p><p>“That being said, we had tae choose who we thought had the greatest chance in here. The girl we want tae save is… Jess.”</p><p>Jess’s eyes widened in shock before quickly morphing into a scowl. Directed at Bobby; the bearer of bad news.</p><p>Marisol let out a quiet sob and Jess turned to her, grabbing her face between her hands and lifting it so Marisol looked into her eyes. Jess was whispering to her, but everyone was completely silent, and she wasn't being all that quiet. Obviously, everyone could hear.</p><p>“Fuck, Marisol. I’m so so sorry. The boys are fucking idiots. I’m sorry. I can’t. I wish. Fuck. I’m so fucking sorry. Don’t cry babes. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Marisol shook her head and Jess grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug.</p><p>Gary stood up and cleared his throat, reading out the text he’d just gotten, “Jess, you are now coupled up with Henrik. Please take your seat at the firepit.”</p><p>Jess whipped her head around and glared at the boys. She looked back at Marisol, still not moving, seemingly undecided if she wanted to go sit down or stay with Marisol. Eventually Marisol let out a laugh and gave Jess a push. She walked over to them, not making eye contact, and ignoring Henrik who stood up to greet her nervously. She sat in the middle, right next to Bobby but didn’t say anything, just stared straight ahead.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hannah stood up and smirked, saying in a sing-song voice, “Our turn. We were really split up on this. But in the end, we decided to keep this boy because he has quite a few options in here.”</p><p>Priya scowled at Hannah. <em>Shit. No fucking way.</em></p><p>Hannah giggled, “We choose Ibrahim.”</p><p>Jess immediately stood up and ran to Rocco, who wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. Rocco whispered something to Jess and she laughed and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, saying, “I’m going to fucking miss you, you dipshit.”</p><p>Everyone chuckled.</p><p>Jess reached a hand out behind her to motion Marisol to join in their weird hug. The three of them stood there hugging while Lottie stood up and read out her text, “Ibrahim, you are now coupled up with Jo. Rocco and Marisol, you have been dumped from the Island. You have one hour to leave the Villa.”</p><p>Everyone stood up and went to say their goodbyes. Bobby hugged Marisol and she whispered in his ear “Thank you so much for being such an amazing friend”</p><p>He squeezed her tighter. This sucked.</p><p>Jess grabbed Marisol and dragged her off to go pack.</p><p>Everyone else had meandered off, leaving him with Rocco, who had hung back. Bobby turned to the redhead and pulled him in for a quick hug.</p><p>Rocco laughed and patted his back, “Bobby, mate, you have to look after her.”</p><p>Bobby frowned, not quite sure who he meant.</p><p>Rocco rolled his eyes, “Jess.”</p><p>“Oh. Yeah. She does nae need me,” he chuckled. Jess did not need him, or anyone, looking after her. He smiled as he thought about what she might do if she found out Rocco was telling him this. She’d go ballistic.</p><p>Rocco gave him a little knowing smirk, “I get the feeling she will one day.”</p><p>“Doubt it.”</p><p>“Hmmm” Rocco mused as he started walking away, “I hope you both figure it out soon.”</p><p>Fuck that guy was weird sometimes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess stood outside, waiting for Rocco and Marisol to come out and trying to hold back tears. Jesus Christ. She hadn’t cried in years and now, only a week in the Villa and she was going for round two. Why was this place so fucked up?</p><p>She was still in complete shock that the boys had sent Marisol home. Jess had wanted to go. She made it clear to everyone she would never find love in here. What the fuck was wrong with them all? Marisol was the obvious choice. God damn it. She also could not believe that the girls chose Ibrahim to stay. Surely Priya wanted him to leave. Why had the girls voted against her? She sighed. Her shoulders were sore. She was mentally and physically drained. She wanted a nap asap. Maybe a massage. Maybe she could convince Lucas… Nope, that was definitely going to end with her on her back. Probably not the first thing she should do after being recoupled with Henrik.</p><p>Bobby came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach and resting his chin against her shoulder. Fuck, it was so comforting.</p><p>“Yer alright Lass?” he whispered in her ear.</p><p>“Yeah, still mad at you though,” Jess said back.</p><p>He chuckled, “I know.”</p><p>“Why’d you do it?”</p><p>He sighed, “Because she found someone, and I guess I thought yeh might still.”</p><p>“But I said–”</p><p>He squeezed her lightly to cut her off, “I know. But yeh never know right? I think yeh might be secretly opening up tae the idea.”</p><p>Was she? She had not yet freaked out about this Lucas thing. She knew he was probably going to want to be serious, but she <em>hadn’t</em> talked herself out of it yet. Maybe she was opening it up to the idea. Or maybe she really needed to get laid, to hell with the consequences.</p><p>She went for a neutral response, “Thanks for the hug Bee.”</p><p>“It was nae for yeh, it was for me.” <em>Oh, ok, sure.</em></p><p>Just then Rocco and Marisol came out holding hands, both smiling sadly, trailing their bags behind them.</p><p>“This sucks,” Priya said.</p><p>Rocco smiled at her, and spoke up cheerfully “Ah, it’s not so bad! I came in here looking for something special, so I’m pretty happy that I’m leaving today with a fucking rainbow fish” he put his arm around Marisol, looking at her affectionately and giving her a squeeze. They were adorable. Jess hoped it worked out for them.</p><p>Rocco looked at Jess, smiling with a playful look in his eye, “And I’m also glad not to be coupled up with an old trout anymore.”</p><p>Jess giggled, stepping out of Bobby’s arms and walking over to Rocco. She playfully batted him on the arm, “I agree babe, I finally traded up from a dirty hippie to a sexy Viking.”</p><p>He laughed and pulled her into a hug.</p><p>“Fuck I’m gonna miss you” she whispered to him as they let go.</p><p>
  <em>So, so, so much. Please don't leave. </em>
</p><p>Shit. Jess blinked back the hot tears threatening the corners of her eyes and took a deep breath. This was how it goes in here; she needed to get the fuck over it already. Fuck.</p><p>Marisol smiled at everyone, “I can’t wait to see what you guys get up to on TV.”</p><p>Jess smiled at her, “Placing bets on who will couple up?”</p><p>She smirked, “I have some ideas already.”</p><p>Everyone ran in and gave them both a massive group hug. They turned and walked down the driveway, waving as they went, and everyone called out goodbyes.</p><p>Eventually everyone went back inside but Jess sat down on the entrance steps, wrapping her arms around herself. Deep in thought about all the things she wished she could have changed that night. She had gotten so close to Rocco. And now she was recoupled, but still not with the person she wanted to be with. She wished she could have been voted off. She had her speech ready and everything.</p><p>She heard someone open the front door and sit down next to her. She looked over and was surprised to see it was Henrik.</p><p>“Oh, hey babe,” she said.</p><p>He grinned at her, “Hey. I uh, just wanted to check on you,” he held out an open bottle of sparkling wine, “Bobby said this was your favourite.”</p><p>“Oh did he?” That little bastard. Bobby knew it wasn’t. They had argued about it for an hour on the second night.</p><p>
  <em>“At least yer didn’t say bubbles.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m not a basic bitch.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yer kinda are, Lass. Tequila is pretty go-to fer a white girl.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh right, because Whiskey isn’t the most obvious choice for a Scot.”</em>
</p><p>Jess smiled at the memory then grabbed the bottle and took a couple of sips. Ok, a lot of sips. She was already pretty tipsy; her, Rocco and Marisol had finished two bottles of Sambuca that he’d secretly stashed while they’d <em>‘packed’</em>.</p><p>Henrik looked pleased with himself, clearly thinking it was indeed her favourite.</p><p>Suddenly he said, “What the fuck happened there?” pointing at her feet.</p><p>She had almost forgotten that her toes had looked like Texas chainsaw massacre all night. She laughed, “Oh, Bobby did it.”</p><p>Henrik laughed too, “He does like toes, doesn’t he?”</p><p>“Yup!” She passed him the bottle so he could take a sip.</p><p>He looked at her, a curious expression on his face, “So… are you OK?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just surprised is all.”</p><p>He gave her a confused look and she giggled at him.</p><p>“I thought you guys would choose Marisol to stay.”</p><p>He shifted a little and looked at the ground, “We all picked you. Bobby tried to change our minds but…”</p><p><em>Ouch.</em> Jess wanted them to pick Marisol but something about Bobby voting for her to leave kind of stung and she didn't really know why. Also, why had Bobby taken the blame earlier?</p><p>He cleared his throat and turned his body to face her, giving her a nervous smile, “Um, well, I kind of also wanted to… you know, couple up with you,” he gave her a vulnerable look and her heart melted for him right there.</p><p>Fuck, he was so fucking cute. She stared at him for a moment, his eyes were so beautiful, green and hazy. She felt herself drawn to him. He moved his arm to rest behind her, bringing his chest and face close to hers. In the back of her mind she knew she should shut this down. But her hand, of its own volition, reached out and touched his chest. He was so warm, and it was a little chilly out. She spread her fingers out and drew circles on his skin.</p><p>Her mind ran wild with all the reasons she shouldn’t. What about Lucas? But he hadn’t come to comfort her had he. Henrik did. They were in a couple now. But also… how awkward would it be when she eventually left him for Lucas? Would he be hurt? She didn’t want to break another heart. How would it look? No. She couldn’t let this happen. Henrik was a friend. End of.</p><p>Quietly, she whispered, “I like Lucas right now. I, we should just–”</p><p>Henrik nodded and cut her off by whispering softly, “It’s OK, I get it. We’ll–”</p><p>“Jess? What the fuck is going on?” Lucas’s voice came from the entrance to the Villa and Jess sprang back from Henrik, with what she could only imagine was a super fucking guilty look on her face. He was furious as he stood there, eyes burning into hers. </p><p>Henrik stood up, his palms held up, “Hey, mate, nothing–”</p><p>“Are you fucking kidding me Jess?” Lucas yelled, then turned on his heel and stormed into the Villa.</p><p>Henrik turned around and looked at Jess, his face a picture of shock. Then Jess couldn’t help it. She burst into laughter. Henrik cracked too and came back to sit beside her, both clutching their sides, laughing like idiots.</p><p>When they’d calmed down a little Jess picked the bottle of wine back up and took a sip, offering some to Henrik. They sat there in silence, drinking together, every so often just cracking up laughing again as one of them remembered the look on Lucas’s face. She knew it wasn’t funny and he was probably hurt, but honestly, at this point in the day, she’d had enough of this stupid Villa, and kind of just wanted to pretend it was all a fucking joke. She just couldn't bring herself to care about any of it anymore. She didn't have the energy. She was done. Over it. Finished. Today was the worst.</p><p>After a few minutes Bobby poked his head out the door, while they were in the middle of another giggle fit. He walked over; eyes filled with amusement, “I dinnae think yeh two should be finding this so funny. Lucas is fucking fuming.”</p><p>Henrik waved his hand dismissively at Bobby, “He needs to chill. Jess was literally in the middle of her rejection speech.”</p><p>That set Jess off laughing again, “I wasn’t – oh shit – there’s not – a whole speech!” she managed to get out.</p><p>She held the bottle up for Bobby and he chuckled as he took a sip, taking a seat next on the other side of Henrik, “Oh right, so yeh weren’t getting it on like rabbits out here?”</p><p>“Is that what he said?” Jess asked, giggling, “Good god. Could you imagine Henrik?”</p><p>He laughed and nodded, “I wonder when you would have told me we were just friends.”</p><p>“Probably after you’d got me off. Yup, for sure,” Jess joked, nodding her head with fake conviction.</p><p>“Oh, so only a minute in then?” He laughed and waved his fingers at her, “I’m good with my hands.”</p><p>“Henrik!” Jess slapped him playfully, “I did not need to know that!” sending them off into another giggle fit.</p><p>Bobby laughed loudly, “Pretty sure I ‘ave the monopoly on the best hands in the Villa,” he said, holding his hands out.</p><p>Jess leaned over and grabbed one of Bobby’s hands, bringing it to her face, causing Bobby to reach over Henrik, who leaned back and laughed. His hands were amazing. How had she not noticed before? His fingers were long and slender and the skin was so smooth... God, she really should <em>try</em> to sober up a little.</p><p>Instead, she gushed, “Holy shit! Your hands are fucking beautiful.” <em>Well, so much for that idea.</em></p><p>He held his other hand to his chest, clutching it dramatically, “You’ve only just noticed!”</p><p>Jess let his hand go and rolled her eyes, holding hers out for the bottle of wine. He picked it back up and passed it to her.</p><p>Henrik piped up, “My hands are beautiful too!”</p><p>He held his hands out and Henrik and Bobby both compared them. Jess rolled her eyes and had a few more sips while they debated. AKA, swung their dicks around.</p><p>“Maybe we’re hand twins!” Henrik announced finally.</p><p>Bobby grinned and started singing, “This hand is my hand… this hand is your hand… oh wait, that’s my hand…”</p><p>Jess burst out into laughter and Henrik looked at Bobby like he was crazy.</p><p>When Jess had calmed down enough, she said, “That’s exactly who you remind me of! Joey!”</p><p>Bobby smile brightly at her, “I’m impressed Lass.”</p><p>She laughed and threw her hands into the air, “Everyone is!”</p><p>Henrik, who still looked a bit confused, perked up, “I know I am,” and shot her a wink.</p><p>She giggled into the bottle as she took another sip.</p><p>“Yeh should probably talk tae him,” Bobby told her softly. <em>Ugh, stop being the voice of reason, I'm busy spiraling.</em></p><p>Jess threw her hands up and lay down on the concrete floor below her, “I’m all talked out.”</p><p>Henrik patted her arm, “I’ll do it.”</p><p>“Thanks babe, but I fucked this one up.”</p><p>“Yup, for a minute, even <em>I</em> thought you were going to kiss me.”</p><p>Jess started laughing, honestly feeling a little manic at this point, “You had like a good 50/50 chance babe!”</p><p>Henrik laughed too but got to his feet, “I’m going to go talk to him.”</p><p>Jess waved at him, as he walked inside. Then groaned and put her hands over her face.</p><p>Bobby shuffled closer and chuckled at her, “Yeh know what I think?”</p><p>“What’s that?” she peeked at him through her hands.</p><p>“I think yer well pissed, Lass.”</p><p>“Mmhmmm,” Jess sighed, “Lucky guess.”</p><p>Now that she was lying down, she could feel the haze of the alcohol that poured through her system. She was tired, overwhelmed and sad, and all of her damn feelings and emotions made the sambuca and wine a heady combination in her brain. She felt a little crazy. Unhinged.</p><p>
  <em>God this place is mental. Or maybe it's just me?</em>
</p><p>She felt Bobby leave and come back a few minutes later with her water bottle. He handed it to her, and she sat up slightly to chug it, before lying back down.</p><p>Bobby lay down next to her and they lay in silence, looking at the stars.</p><p>After a while Jess said, “Today sucked.”</p><p>Bobby thread his fingers through hers, and whispered, “Tomorrow will be better.”</p><p>She turned her head to look at him, he was smiling at her like he actually believed that might be true.</p><p>“Don’t think I don’t know you told Henrik my favourite drink was bubbles.”</p><p>He chuckled, “Nae my fault yer a basic bitch.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes and turned back to the stars. A thought briefly fluttered through her head. <em>Why did hanging out with Bobby always make her feel so good?</em></p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>An hour later, just before bed, she was called to the Beach Hut. Because, of course the producers wanted to torture her.</p><p><strong>What do you think of Henrik?</strong> “Oh, Henrik is a total babe. Me and him are going to be friends. I think everyone here knows Lucas is main bae.” <em>Gross.</em> She was definitely still too tipsy for this.</p><p><strong>How do you feel about Rocco and Marisol leaving?</strong> “I’m so sad that Rocco and Marisol left. The only thing I can say is that I’m glad they left together, and I really hope they can make something of it on the outside. I love them both and I’m going to miss them terribly.” <em>Don't cry. Don't cry.</em></p><p><strong>What do you think of Jo?</strong> Jess shrugged, “I think Jo got off to a bad start in here. It would be nice to set it right, especially because Ibrahim seems to like her, and they’re a couple now.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. We both get high scores</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A massage from Lucas. A date with Bobby. Slime Challenge happens and we love it. Ok, maybe too far. <i>I</i> love it. Sorry to just assume you will too.</p><p>Jess cooks pasta (fucking riveting stuff; we are all on the edge of our seats while you spend the afternoon cooking Jess, thanks for that). </p><p>Everyone plays a game and, once again, it gets weird.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess woke up on the daybeds, pulling the covers over her face to stop the sun from blinding her. Last night, she had figured that Lucas was probably already pissed enough without her also sharing with Henrik. Besides, she didn’t know how she felt about it. She loved cuddling with Rocco because it was pure platonic goodness, but with Henrik… it was different.</p><p>Henrik had offered to be the one to sleep outside but she had also wanted to get away from everyone and have some peace and quiet. It was nice. Until the sun was streaming into her face, reminding her she needed to wake up.</p><p>She groaned loudly and heard someone chuckling. She pulled the blankets down and saw Lucas standing there, holding a coffee out for her. Look, she hated waxing lyrical but she couldn't deny that the man looked like an absolute god, standing there, the sun beaming behind him, holding out her favourite morning beverage. <em>Like, damn Lucas, way to make a girls' heart melt.</em></p><p>Too bad the hazy dream-like state she was in lasted all of a few seconds once she'd sat up and taken a sip. <em>Ugh. Sugar. Awful. </em>She swallowed it, somehow managing to keep a grimace off her face.</p><p>Lucas sat down on the bed next to her, small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips and roaming his eyes down her body slowly.</p><p>“Whatcha looking at?” she teased.</p><p>He met her eyes again and smiled, “You. You look very sexy all messed up like that.”</p><p>She put the coffee on the side table, even though it belonged in the trash, and shifted so she was lying on her side facing him, “That so?”</p><p>“Mmhmmm,” he said as he got into the same position as her and put a hand on her waist.</p><p>“So… we’re not fighting?” she asked cautiously.</p><p>He sighed, “Henrik talked to me. I trust you.”</p><p>“Good,” she said and leaned over to give him a lingering kiss on the cheek, then, unable to resist, planting several more slow kisses along his jaw. He gripped her waist harder, trying to tug her closer but she pulled away, giving him a knowing smirk.</p><p>“Tease,” he mumbled at her.</p><p>She giggled, then remembered she was supposed to be mad at him too. <em>Damn it.</em> Sighing, she said, “Why did you tell Priya about the kiss last night?”</p><p>He shrugged, “She needed to know.”</p><p>“No. You wanted to start drama. You must have known it would.”</p><p>“Yeah… I don’t really mind drama. It’s kind of funny.” What? That is the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard.</p><p>“It’s other people’s feelings. You can’t fuck with people like that.”</p><p>He looked at her for a moment, searching in her eyes, “I wasn’t trying to fuck with anyone.”</p><p>“Then what were you doing?”</p><p>He shrugged, “Having fun.”</p><p>“Can you maybe have fun by doing other things? Basically <em>anything</em> except spreading rumours specifically designed to hurt people and cause arguments.”</p><p>“Why do you care?”</p><p>She sighed and rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the tension in them, “Because I have to pick up the pieces for some reason. It’s hard.”</p><p>His face softened and he grabbed her hand, massaging her forearm as he did, “I’m sorry. I never want to upset <em>you.</em>”</p><p>She was a little distracted by his massage, just muttering out a, “Mmmm,” while she closed her eyes. Focusing on the feeling of his fingers working the muscles in her arm. It was pure bliss.</p><p>After a moment he muttered, “Turn around.”</p><p>She opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her. His face filled with warmth and care. It made her feel special, like she was the only girl he wanted to make happy. She turned around and he pushed her gently, so she was lying face down, head turned to the side of the pillow, as he sat next to her. His hands came up to her shoulders, rolling them slowly up her neck, then down her arms and fuck if it didn't feel amazing. Holy fucking shit.</p><p>Feeling all her muscles melt and relax, she hummed and closed her eyes, focusing on the movements of his strong hands as they pressed into her. She had never had a massage <em>this</em> good before. Though to be fair, the massages she had gotten were usually laced with a strong amount of sexual tension; the goal not really being to actually give a decent massage. She found herself thinking that she should exclusively date physio's from now on, or at least make massage skills a prerequisite. Maybe she could offer her fuck buddies a course in it; kind of like the professional development perks you get at a job. But like, personal development perks of fucking Jess.</p><p>She was barely able to hold back a laugh at her own thoughts, instead disguising it as some weird gasp that Lucas mistook as pleasure and murmured something to her that she didn't quite hear. <em>Shit. Jess. Focus ok. Stop being an absolute weirdo.</em> So, with great concentration, she pushed her thoughts out of her head and let herself clear her mind. Her shoulders felt relaxed for the first time since she’d entered this Villa, and she found herself drifting back to sleep. Apparently she had two states of being; making stupid jokes in her head, or falling asleep.</p><p>Lucas chuckled and nudged her, “Hey, don’t fall asleep on me.”</p><p>She moaned and mumbled out, “Why’d you wake me up?”</p><p>This made him laugh more and he gently nudged her again, “We’ve got to get up gorgeous. The day awaits.”</p><p>“Ugh! Fine!” She groaned as she got up. He was smiling down at her, already to his feet. She took his hands and stood up, wrapping her arms around his neck, “Thanks for the massage,” she muttered.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow at her, “I know a few ways you can repay me.”</p><p>“Oh, do you now?”</p><p>He smirked at her, “Just you wait.”</p><p>Then he grabbed one of her hands, unwrapping it from around his neck and dragged her off into the Villa. This fun, playful side to Lucas was very attractive.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Jess had just finished getting ready and was just sitting around in the dressing room with all the girls. She had put on a peach coloured bikini that wrapped around her torso a few times and bottoms that did not covered her ass, like, at all. She had started a conversation with Hannah about their favourite books. Now that she wasn’t obsessed with Gary, Hannah was actually pretty cool. And even though Jess wasn’t all that into romance, they found some common ground when it came to murder mysteries.</p><p>There was a knock on the door and Bobby’s head popped in, he grinned when he spotted her “Aye, Jess!” he opened the door wider and held out a plate stacked with breakfast food. She jumped up happily and ran over to grab the plate off him. It was a full English breakfast.</p><p>Lottie scowled at him, “Why does Jess get breakfast? I’m coupled up with you!”</p><p>Bobby winked at her, “Lose a bet and yeh will, love.”</p><p>Lottie huffed and turned around, going back to getting ready.</p><p>Jess looked at Bobby and rolled her eyes, “Full English is not what I ordered.”</p><p>“Aye, I dinnae take orders well Lass.”</p><p>She grinned at him and looked at his empty hands, “Did you make some for yourself?”</p><p>“Aye, I left it downstairs.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him again, “Well go grab it, you idiot! We’ll have a breakfast date on the rooftop!”</p><p>“A date? With yeh? No thanks,” Bobby said in mock disgust. Or at least she hoped it was mock. Though she wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. Because, she was his sister and all. <em>Nope, don't get mad about that again.</em></p><p>“Oh shut up” she said as she walked past him, heading down the hall to the terrace, “Can you make me a coffee too pleeeaassase? Lucas fucked mine up earlier,” she called out to him.</p><p>She heard him chuckle as he walked back downstairs, “Yes yeh highness.”</p><p>She got to the rooftop and set herself up one of the benches. She crossed her legs up on the bench and put a cushion in her lap, balancing her plate of food on top. She leant back and closed her eyes, feeling content, while she waited for Bobby to come back.</p><p>She didn’t have to wait too long before Bobby was walking through the door with his plate in one hand and a coffee in the other. She made grabby hands at the cup and he chuckled. He handed it over, before sitting down next to her and taking up the exact same position as her.</p><p>“You are a star Bobby. I don’t know how one of these girls hasn’t snapped you up already!” she took a sip of her coffee. It was perfect.</p><p>He laughed and grabbed his knife and fork, then looked at her plate, “Yeh didn’t start?”</p><p>She put down her cup and smiled at him, picking up her cutlery and cutting into the hash brown. She shrugged, “I was taught to never start before everyone was ready. I don’t really think about it anymore. Just something I do.”</p><p>Bobby chewed thoughtfully then said, “I like tha’. Kinda a family vibe.”</p><p>“That’s the one.”</p><p>“Yeh have a big family then?”</p><p>“Mmm… just me, my sister and Dad. But I have a large extended family. So when we all get together, which is a lot, there is like 30 of us.”</p><p>He looked at her, “Really? Yer close with them all?”</p><p>“Mmhmm… I would happily go over for a visit and just let myself in and hang out if they weren’t there. They wouldn’t be surprised at all to come home to find me napping on the couch.”</p><p>He smiled at her like it sounded great. She had to admit, it was.</p><p>“When we were kids, me and my cousins would just pick and choose who we were staying with that night. My aunties and uncles wouldn’t even bat an eyelash at having six kids at their house instead of the usual one or two. They would just call my Dad and let him know and everything was all gravy”</p><p>Jesus. Is she seriously telling him boring ass childhood stories?</p><p>He sat quietly for moment, studying her with his intense gaze, “Let me guess… yer the eldest?”</p><p>She laughed, “That obvious?”</p><p>He laughed and shrugged, “Yeh kind of a ring leader ‘round here. Fer both helping people and starting mischief. I would nae be surprised if yer family agreed with me on that second part.”</p><p>She grinned at him, “What about you?”</p><p>“Got two sisters, right pains in meh ass, especially when we were teenagers.”</p><p>“Close?”</p><p>He shrugged, “Yeah, they’re both starting families now. Cannae wait fer nieces and nephews tae be fair.”</p><p>“Eldest?”</p><p>“Mmhhmm… as kids they were off chasing boys ‘n I was off hunting those boys down,” Bobby chuckled to himself.</p><p>“You seem like the protective type, I admire that,” she told him, smiling at him affectionately.</p><p>It was one of the things she liked most about him. He caught her eye and smiled back at her; he had the same look in his eye as she did. It made her tummy flutter, but she couldn’t put her finger on why.</p><p>“So do yeh, and so do I,” he told her quietly.</p><p>She couldn't stop a blush creeping up her cheeks for some reason and quickly went back to her breakfast; both of them eating in silence for a while.</p><p>“So, you like kids then?”</p><p>Bobby grinned, “Aye, cannae wait to have meh own. Yeh?”</p><p>“Mmmm… love kids and want em. But… I, uh, would kind of have to meet someone I could, I guess, trust. You know, fall in love or whatever…” Jess didn’t know why she was so uncomfortable right now. She hadn’t ever told anyone before that she had resigned herself to not having kids. And also, a little bit, was she still not open to love? She wasn’t sure anymore.</p><p>“I get it,” he nodded and looked at her like he actually did get it.</p><p>She nodded and went back to her plate. She had barely managed to eat half of what he’d put on her plate, but she was soooo full. She groaned, “Bobby, it’s too much! I can’t finish it!”</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her, “Stop being a baby.”</p><p>“You want it?” she asked, holding her plate out.</p><p>“Sure,” he grabbed it and put it down next to him, still making his way through his own.</p><p>She laughed and turned herself sideways to face him, still hugging the pillow, and picked her coffee back up, sipping on it as she watched him eat. He had a happy content smile on his face, making him look adorable.</p><p>“That was really good, Bee.”</p><p>He chuckled at her, “It’s nae rocket science.”</p><p>“Still, it’s making me really excited for your French toast!”</p><p>“I’m nae making yer French toast.”</p><p>“Are too.”</p><p>“Are nae.”</p><p>“But… but…”</p><p>He looked at her and rolled his eyes, “Those puppy eyes will nae work on me Lass.”</p><p>She leaned closer, dropping her lip into a full pout, “You sure?”</p><p>He stared at her for a moment then groaned, “Fine. I did lose fair and square.”</p><p>She squeaked happily, before going back to her seat.</p><p>Lottie walked in at that moment, holding a cup in her hand. She looked surprised to see Jess there, “Oh Jess! I was just coming to find Bobby...”</p><p>Jess started to stand up, “Oh, that’s cool, I can leave?”</p><p>Lottie considered her for a moment, “Actually, I was going to read Bobby’s leaves again–”</p><p>Bobby groaned and Lottie threw him a glare.</p><p>“But maybe I can read yours instead?” she said, looking back at Jess.</p><p>“Sure, I’ll give it a <em>chai!”</em></p><p>Bobby chuckled but Lottie groaned and handed Jess the cup, sitting down opposite her and Bobby.</p><p>Jess took a sip of the tea “Ugh, gross!”</p><p>Bobby nodded but had his mouth full, so instead just gave Jess a look that said, <em>‘I know!’</em>.</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes at both of them, “Just drink it.”</p><p>Jess smirked over the rim, “No need to be sal-<em>tea.</em>”</p><p>Bobby snorted.</p><p>“Jesus. I’ll take it back if you don’t stop it.”</p><p>Jess gave Lottie an admonishing look, “Loz, that isn’t <em>tea</em> spirit.”</p><p>Lottie reached her hand out to take the tea away. Jess moved it out of her reach.</p><p>“Ok, ok, I’m done!” she took another sip, sighing deeply before saying, “I just wish we’d all get <em>oolong.</em>”</p><p>This time Jess couldn’t hold back her laughter, and Bobby joined in. Fuck, Jess loved awful puns. How she had so many tea puns up her sleeve, she'd never know. Lottie glared at them both, though she had a small smile in the corner of her mouth. Jess took it as a win.</p><p>She threw the tea back, wincing as she did and handed Lottie back the cup.</p><p>Lottie looked intently at it, staring in silence.</p><p>After a minute, Jess opened her mouth to ask if she was done, but Bobby shook his head, whispering, “She dinnae like it if yeh interrupt.”</p><p>“What was your reading?” Jess whispered back.</p><p>Lottie made a frustrated noise, “Jess, you are so fucking loud. No talking from you. Bobby, you're fine.”</p><p>Bobby grinned a massive <em>‘haha’</em> grin at Jess and she rolled her eyes. He shifted closer, now having finished with both breakfasts, and whispered, “Some bullshit about me finding love sometime in the future. And then we were going to do lots of challenges in the Villa.”</p><p>Lottie ‘tisked’ and muttered, “Not what I said at all.”</p><p>Jess looked at Lottie, “See anything good in mine?”</p><p>Lottie looked up, a confused and curious expression on her face. She studied Jess for a long moment, Jess shuffled about under her gaze, a bit uncomfortable, unsure what she was looking for. Honestly, this was probably the only time she felt intimidated by Lottie. <em>Can she see into my soul? Fuck, what will she find there? More tea puns probably.</em></p><p>Slowly, Lottie looked at Bobby, then back at the cup, frowning as she hummed, clearly deep in thought. <em>Not making me feel any better Lottie!</em></p><p>She got up and sat next to Jess, showing her the cup, “Do you see that at the bottom?”</p><p>“A bird?” Honestly, it was a random guess; everything just looked like tea leaves on the inside of a cup.</p><p>“Ugh. An anchor. Jesus. It means that there will be someone in your life who is important to you when it comes to love. Someone who you depend on. A true love.”</p><p>Bobby frowned at them, “Hang on, why didn’t I get tae whole show and tell thing?”</p><p>Lottie shushed him and pointed to the rim of the cup, “This is your near future. I see a lover here, but it looks like maybe you aren’t certain.”</p><p>“Ok…” Jess said. There wasn't many things she was certain about it her life, so like, checks out?</p><p>Lottie pointed at a bunch of lines in the middle that honestly, looked like nothing to Jess, “Here, I kind of see that you are hiding from some truth. And a relationship might grow deeper, or a journey you take will have you thinking differently about something.”</p><p>Bobby snorted, “A journey? So yeh going to take a walk and decide maybe yeh like tea more than coffee?"</p><p>Jess cackled and Lottie smacked him playfully on the arm.</p><p>“It doesn’t sound too bad then?” Jess asked.</p><p>“Nope, not at all,” Lottie said happily. She fixed Bobby with a questioning stare and said, “It actually looks really similar to Bobby’s...”</p><p>“What does that mean?” Bobby asked.</p><p>Jess laughed and reached her hand up for a high-five, “It means we both get high scores!”</p><p>Bobby laughed and slapped his hand on hers, “Top of tae class!”</p><p>Lottie joined in their laughter, shaking her head at them both, “You guys are dorks.”</p><p>Jess jumped up “That was fun Loz!” she grabbed the two plates next to Bobby, “I’m going to go do these then jump in the pool.”</p><p>She went to walk out the door but turned back around, “Thanks for breakfast Bee!” she said, sincerely meaning it. It was fucking delicious and exactly what she needed. Not just the food, but the company as well.</p><p>He shot her a grin, and she opened the door and went downstairs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby was lying on a beanbag, drying out in the sun. Him, Jess, and Hannah had just competed in an impromptu diving competition, Henrik judging. Jess had won, though Bobby maintained it was just because she was the best at trash talking and therefore throwing the other two off their game. Secretly, he thought it might have been because he was partly distracted by how much of Jess’s ass was on show today.</p><p>Lucas had clearly liked her outfit too because they were now both off cuddling on the daybeds. It occurred to Bobby that when she was with Lucas, the Villa was a lot quieter; you couldn’t hear her laugh ringing out across the place. Probably a few people were grateful for it. Bobby, not so much. He liked listening to her laugh.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>He grabbed his phone and jumped to his feet, yelling at everyone that he got a text. All the Islanders came racing over and he read it out, “Islanders, please make your way to the challenge area #slime #grindandbump.”</p><p>Jess jumped and down first, “Yus! Are we gonna get dirty?”</p><p>“Ew, I’m not really down for that today,” Hannah moaned.</p><p>Bobby slung his arm around the red-head’s shoulders, “Don’t worry ‘bout it Han, it’ll be fun!”</p><p>Gary shook his head, “I think they just make these challenges for you Bobs.”</p><p>“I fucking hope they do! Bring on a baking challenge!”</p><p>They all made their way over to the challenge area where there were buckets of red, blue and yellow slime lined up on the left side and empty jars sitting on little weighing machines on the right-hand side.</p><p>“This looks like it’ll be a bit of fun actually,” Noah said, grabbing Hope around the waist and pulling her in for a cuddle. They had been particularly coupley all morning.</p><p>“I’m not into it,” Lucas complained.</p><p>“Oh come on babe!” Jess smiled up at him, then turned to whisper loudly, “I’ll help you clean off later,” as she gave him an exaggerated wink.</p><p>All the boys started sniggering. Henrik slapped Lucas on the back and looked at Jess, “Is that offer for me too? Couple benefits and all that.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? And what benefits do <em>I</em> get out of this couple?” Jess smirked, making Lucas frown at them both.</p><p>Henrik, who hadn’t noticed Lucas’s displeasure, wiggled his fingers at her, “Great with my hands, remember?”</p><p>Hope cut in, “Ok, if you two are done flirting, I got a text.”</p><p>“Sorry mum,” Jess said under her breath. Hope didn’t hear but Bobby did, and he chuckled quietly under his breath. Jess winked at him before turning her attention to Hope.</p><p>“Girls, your challenge is to get as much slime as you can off the boys and to your named jar. The catch? You are not allowed to use your hands. Each boy will be covered in slime, either red, yellow or blue. You will be assigned a colour and will need to grind on two boys in order to make the correct colour. The girl who has the most correctly coloured slime in her jar will win ice lollies for her and her choice of boys #getjiggywithit #iceicebaby.”</p><p>Jess had started taking her heels off while Hope was reading; impressively balancing on each foot while she did so. Now, standing barefoot and therefore much shorter than normal, she exclaimed, “Oh. I’m <em>soooo</em> fucking winning this.”</p><p>“Don’t want to get your hair slimy?” Ibrahim asked as he watched her pull a hair tie off her wrist to pull her hair back into a high pony, probably more concerned about his own hair.</p><p>“Nah babes, just getting into beast mode,” she said, jumping around with her arms out, legs wide, like a wrestler about to start a match. She was adorable when she was feeling competitive.</p><p>The boys all lined up in front of a colour. Bobby got red.</p><p>Lottie came over and smirked at him, “Let me guess? You want it dumped all over you?”</p><p>He threw his arms out wide, “Slime me up baby!”</p><p>Lottie picked up the bucket and dumped it on his head. Fuck it was cold. He shivered a bit and Lottie chuckled and walked to the starting line. He moved the slime around a bit so it went all over his body, then stood at the ready.</p><p>The buzzer went off.</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” Gary said, looking at little scared as the girls took off, running full pelt towards them. Even Bobby had to admit, it was a bit terrifying.</p><p>Hannah came up to him and started grinding on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body close to his as she looked into his eyes, fluttering her eyelashes coyly at him. He smiled down at her, hiding how fucking awkward he felt in that moment, and suggested she get the back too. She beamed at him, and he turned around so she could slide up and down his back, trying to pick up all his slime.</p><p>She blushed when he turned back around, “Thanks Bobby!” she said sweetly, then ran off to find someone else. <em>Phew.</em></p><p>He looked down the line and saw Jo was grinding on a yellow slime covered Lucas, a smug look on her face aimed towards where Jess was jumping on Henrik’s back. <em>Is she only doing that to piss Jess off?</em> Bobby frowned. He’d be surprised if Jess gave a shit, but it was a really petty move on Jo’s part.</p><p>“Think fast!” Next thing he knew, Jess was running over to him, already covered in blue slime from head to toe. He had about two seconds to see the look in her eye before she jumped at him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Thank fuck he caught her. He held her up, his hands on her ass, and tried not to think about the fact that his hands were on her <em>bare</em> ass, thanks to her togs.</p><p>She laughed, looking down at him from this position, “Quick reaction Bee!” then she ran her forearms across his head, where, admittedly, most of the slime was caught in his dreads.</p><p>“What colour are yeh going fer?” he asked, mostly to distract himself from thinking about how her body was wrapped around him right now. He hiked her up higher as she slipped down to his hips. Fuck. He did not want her getting too low.</p><p>Jess looked down at him, rolling her eyes, and said sarcastically, “Green. Obviously.” <em>Smartass</em>.</p><p>She shifted suddenly and the movement threw him off balance. He stepped backwards and his foot hit a pile of slime and he slipped. He flew forward and landed on top of Jess, who winced and made a little ‘oof’ sound.</p><p>He looked down at her, her legs still wrapped around his waist, “Fuck, yeh ok Jess?” he asked. Shit shit shit. She must have hit the ground pretty hard.</p><p>Slowly, she met his eyes, grinning up at him, and it filled him with relief, “This works too,” she said, then started sliding her body underneath him, trying to rub the slime off him.</p><p>He laughed, but mostly to distract himself. Her movements where not helping him be any less turned on by this whole stupid situation. <em>Fuck. Distance. Asap.</em> He sat back a bit and grabbed her ankles from behind him, unwrapping her legs from his waist.</p><p>She laughed, “Straight for the feet huh Bee?”</p><p>“Fuck off,” he laughed, running his forearms, which were now covered in slime from the ground, up her legs, wiping it off onto her.</p><p>She moved one of her feet to his chest and attempted to kick him over, but he grabbed her leg and moved it off him just before she could. He shot her a glare and she laughed in response. <em>Oh fuck no, she is not getting away with that.</em></p><p>“Oh, yeh wanna play Lass?” he smirked into her smiling face.</p><p>He grabbed her hands and pinned her down to the ground. Pressing his chest hard onto hers so she couldn’t move. One of his legs was lifted up, pinning hers to the ground. She attempted to get out of his hold for a few seconds before she stopped struggling and huffed into his face.</p><p>“Not fair, I can’t use my hands!”</p><p>“I thought yeh were nae a sore loser?”</p><p>“<em>Ah thou' yeh were nae a sore loser,</em>” she mocked, in another awful impression of his accent. She glared and poked her tongue at him.</p><p>Chuckling, he got to his feet, holding his hands out to help her up too.</p><p>She waved his hands off and stood up by herself, clearly still pretending to sulk. He laughed loudly at her and she gave him the finger in response.</p><p>As she spun around to leave, Bobby grabbed her wrist, “Oh Lass?”</p><p>She turned back around, giving him a bratty ‘what do you want’ face. <em>Does she know how cute she looks when she does that?</em></p><p>“Yeh forgot a bit, right there,” he said, pointing at her chest.</p><p>She looked down and he flicked his finger onto her nose, covering it in slime, “Boop.”</p><p>Jess tried to scowl at him, but it quickly turned into a full-blown smile and she swatted his arm playfully; her pretend mood instantly forgotten. <em>Wow, that easy huh?</em></p><p>He watched her as she ran back to the jugs, covered in purple-ish slime, looking absolutely ridiculous. All the girls had pretty much finished trying to get their slime in their jars and all the boys stood around watching and laughing at them. Once Jess got there, she tried to shimmy the slime off, but then turned around and yelled “Henrik babe, come give me a hand!”</p><p>Henrik ran up and started wiping Jess down, catching the slime in his hands and pouring it into her jar.</p><p>“Wait! We can’t use our hands!” Hope yelled at her.</p><p>Jess had her hands resting on Henrik’s shoulders, balancing as he wiped the slime off her legs, but she looked up at smirked at Hope, “Right. We can’t use <em>our</em> hands.”</p><p>All the girls looked at Jess like she was a fucking alien.</p><p>“Why didn’t I think of that?” Hannah muttered sullenly.</p><p><em>Because Jess is smart. </em>Not to say Hannah wasn't, just that she was knowledge smart and Jess was, well, a problem solver. It was clear, to Bobby at least, that Hannah would kick ass at Trivia Pursuit and Jess would dominate at Cluedo. Or Love Letter. <em>I wonder what game Gary would win at? Jinga?</em></p><p>He was so lost in his weird imaging of a Villa board game night, that he hadn't noticed the girls had all finished until Jess was jumping up and down excitedly.</p><p>“I told you bitches I was going to win!” she laughed and took a victory lap around the jugs while everyone laughed and cheered her on.</p><p>Gary leant over and muttered to Bobby, “Well, she <em>did</em> tell us she was a sore winner.”</p><p>He grinned at him, “Aye, she did.”</p><p>Jess struck a pose at the opposite end, basking in her glory before announcing, “I get to pick someone to share ice lollies with!” she tapped her chin and looked at all the boys, pretending to think it over.</p><p>“As a consolation prize for being <em>forced</em> to run his hands all over my body. Henrik, it’s me and you babes,” she said, pointing dramatically at Henrik.</p><p>“Not if I get there first,” Gary shouted.</p><p>“Don’t even think about it Gaz!” Jess screamed and set off, full pelt towards the kitchen.</p><p>Bobby chased after her too. She was fast, but he had longer legs. He reached her halfway across the lawn, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her feet off the ground, “Go Gary!” he yelled as Gary sped past them.</p><p>Jess laughed as she tried to break Bobby’s grip, flailing her legs about, “Henrik! You freaking slow poke!”</p><p>Just then, Henrik whizzed past, turning around and jogging backwards towards the kitchen, “Looks like it’s me and Gary. Sorry Jess!” he shrugged, turning back to join Gary.</p><p>“You bloody traitor!” she squealed, laughing as she still fought against Bobby’s hold. He was struggling to hold her more than he’d like to admit. Mostly because he was laughing so much and she had a vice grip on his forearms as she tried to push them off her waist.</p><p>Gary and Henrik grabbed the ice lollies and purposefully took their time sitting on the bar stools, as though they had all the time in the world. Clearly intent on rubbing salt in the wound, they turned around and started licking them slowly, giving Jess smug grins while they did.</p><p>Jess laughed loudly at their display, “You little shits,” she called out jokingly, making them grin even more.</p><p>She had stopped struggling against Bobby and he put her down. She turned around, her face bright and full of laughter as she looked up at him. She didn’t look mad in the slightest that the boys stole her prize. She still had slime all over her, her hair half fallen out of her ponytail and her cheeks were flush from the struggle. Even so, she looked so fucking beautiful in that moment it was insane.</p><p>She gave him a gentle shove, “Egg.”</p><p>He laughed and put his arm around her shoulder, walking her over to the kitchen just as the rest of the Islanders had reached them and were laughing at Gary and Henrik, still peacocking about their victory over Jess. Despite all their mocking, she still had a spring in her step as they walked over. He was hit suddenly by the thought that everything about her was fucking perfect.</p><p>As they reached the kitchen, Jess rolled her eyes, laughing slightly as she leant on the counter next to Henrik, “Alright, Alright. One point to Gary and Henrik. You won’t get one past me again so enjoy this moment.”</p><p>Gary grinned at Bobby and gave him a meaningful look. <em>Yup, we are definitely teaming up again, Gaz.</em></p><p>Before they were allowed to clean up, they all had to go to the Beach Hut. Bobby was up first.</p><p><strong>What did you think of the challenge?</strong> Bobby grinned widely, “I loved the challenge! It was so much fun, just getting down and dirty with everyone. Plus, it was absolutely hilarious when the boys stole Jess’s prize. Me and Gary will be ganging up on Jess, so watch this space.”</p><p><strong>What did you think about Hannah grinding on you?</strong> Weird? Awkward? <em>Nope, can’t say that.</em> “Hannah is a cool girl, she’s really sweet. I didn’t mind.”</p><p><strong>What did you think about Jess grinding on you?</strong> Oh right, of course they were going to ask about the one thing he’d been trying not to think about, “Uh, you can’t take these things too seriously right? Me and Jess just had a laugh with it.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess was the last to go to the Beach Hut. Sitting in the hot sun while the slime practically baked onto your skin was not fun <em>at all</em>. She grimaced as she sat on the chair, still covered in slime from all the other Islanders. Great.</p><p><strong>What did you think of the challenge?</strong> Jess threw her hands in the air, “I fucking won! Those little pricks stole my prize, but they can’t take away my victory,” she got up and did a little victory dance.</p><p><strong>How did you find grinding on Henrik?</strong> Jess cracked up laughing, “Henrik loved me grinding on him in the challenge. We have great banter actually and I’m glad we can joke about flirting, even though we both know nothing will happen there.”</p><p><strong>How did you find grinding on Bobby?</strong> Jess couldn’t help it, her mind flicked back to thoughts of how it felt to have her legs wrapped around him and his hands on her ass. The way he was able to hold her up like that… well, it made her think of other positions he could hold her in. She had thought he’d be the safe choice. Nope. She felt herself blushing so just started rambling, hoping it would distract from it, “Oh, grinding on Bobby was OK. We had a laugh, and it was fun. He’s pretty good at making awkward situations better. Anyway, it was fine, I won so…”</p><p><strong>Why didn’t you grind on Lucas?</strong> “Um, Lucas was yellow. If I’d gone to him, I wouldn’t have won. And Jess Miller is a winner!” she frowned, “Actually, I think the producers did it on purpose...”</p><p>At least she could go get cleaned now.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess had been to the catering hall earlier, but she’d been very unimpressed with the lunch options for the day so hadn’t eaten anything. That’s why she was now in the kitchen, mid-afternoon, chopping up veges for a pasta she was throwing together on a whim. Originally, she was just making it for herself, but she had a bit of a problem when it came to vegetables; always going overboard. So, after she’d chopped up almost an entire bag of mushrooms, she’d thought; fuck it, may as well make a large batch. If no one ate it today, it would make a great grab-and-go snack for everyone for the next few days.</p><p>She had already chopped up mushrooms, carrots, onions, tomatoes, leek and celery. And was now working on the last one, courgettes. Look, she knew it was a mixed bag, but she did say she had a problem with veges. And these were all her favourites.</p><p>Lucas had come to keep her company earlier, but he’d quickly gotten bored and was now relaxing by the pool with all the girls. Well, except Jo, who was currently making out with Ibrahim on the daybeds. Fucking gross. They were worse than Hope and Noah. She hadn’t missed Jo’s smug face when she was grinding on Lucas earlier. Jess obviously didn’t care; it was just a challenge, but what made her laugh every time she thought about it was the horrified face that Lucas was pulling at the time. Jo was so intent on smirking at Jess that she didn’t even notice that Lucas was hating every second of it. Fucking priceless. A mental note was made to replay that over and over when she got out.</p><p>In any case, she was super glad that Lucas was getting on so well with the girls. She hadn’t missed the eye rolls and glares the rest of the boys gave him behind his back. On one hand it kind of hurt, knowing her mates didn’t get along with him, on the other, she was happy that they at least played nice with him when she was around. The girls however, seemed to really rate him. Though, Jess suspected that for a few of them (cough cough Priya, Hannah and Hope), it was more likely because of his looks than anything else. She concurred. There was the smallest possibility that she only liked him for the same reasons.</p><p>Lucas took himself so seriously, which, her being a free spirit, wasn’t usually her vibe. But… she did think that made him seem a little more trustworthy. If she were going to at least try and give a real relationship a shot in here, she figured she needed to value trust over anything else. <em>Do I really want to let my guard down?</em> It was something that had been running through her mind a lot lately. It terrified her. She wondered if she was maybe choosing Lucas because he was the easy option. They could build a life together; it would be so simple. And she liked him enough to do that right?</p><p>She was so lost in her own thoughts she hadn’t even noticed that Bobby had sat himself down in one of the bar stools on the other side of the bench and was quietly watching her, elbows resting on the counter, chin in his hands.</p><p>She got a bit of a fright and jumped, “Jesus Bobby! Don’t scare people when they have a knife in their hands. Could have ended in a fucking disaster!”</p><p>He chuckled loudly, “Trust me Lass, if I wanted to scare yeh I would’ve done a better job than just sitting here quietly.”</p><p>She muttered, “Should’ve just stabbed him anyway,” under her breath, hoping he wouldn’t hear. He clearly did, because he laughed louder.</p><p>By the time he’d calmed down she had finished chopping and turned the frying pan on to start sautéing the veges.</p><p>Bobby pouted, “Aw. I liked watching yeh chop.”</p><p>She raised her eyebrows at him in question, adding the carrot, onion and celery to the pan.</p><p>He smiled softly, “Yer were concentrating so hard. It was cute.”</p><p>
  <em>Did he come here just to annoy me?</em>
</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him, “You’re an actual idiot.”</p><p>He grinned and eyed the ingredients she had out, “So what are yeh making?”</p><p>“Pasta.”</p><p>He narrowed his eyes, “I don’t think yeh know how tae cook Lass. Those are some weird choices.”</p><p>“So don’t eat it,” she said deadpan. She was getting more and more irritated by him by the second. How dare he insult her cooking.</p><p>He put his hand to his chest, “I kind of have tae; yer making it especially fer me!” fluttering his eyelashes at her.</p><p>“No, it’s for anyone who wants some,” she rolled her eyes.</p><p>He leaned over the counter, trying to get her to look up from the pan. When she did, he was looking at her, massive shit-eating grin on his face, “<em>I</em> want some. Therefore, I conclude, yer making it fer me.”</p><p>She couldn’t stop the smile that took over her face, “God, you’re annoying.”</p><p>“Eh,” he shrugged, like he didn't care.</p><p>She added the other veges, except the tomatoes, as she went back to concentrating on cooking. It was kind of peaceful actually, him, sitting quietly, zoned out in his thoughts, while she put the pasta on and alternated between stirring the veges and cleaning up the dishes she didn’t need anymore. She loved a clean kitchen. And fuck, she loved cooking. After a while, Jess looked back up at Bobby to find him staring at her, his golden-brown eyes piercing her with a look that told her he’d happily watch her all day.</p><p>She smiled at him, “Go to comfort food?”</p><p>“Hmmm… Spaghetti Hoops on toast.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>He shrugged, “Reminds me of being a kid I guess. Me and my sisters would always eat it together, sitting at the table, talking. I think it reminds me of being at home and a time when I dinnae have to worry about anything except if my ma was going tae put cheese on it.”</p><p>The thought of Bobby being a kid filled her heart with warmth. Fucking adorable.</p><p>“That’s so cute Bee. I’m trying to imagine you as a kid!” she scrunched her face up as she thought about it, “Ok ok. I reckon you were loud and cocky and confident. Always playing games and had like <em>tons</em> of girls chasing you.”</p><p>“Ha! I guess part of it is right. I was always the class clown, but I was also lanky, awkward and super insecure.”</p><p>“You?” she threw him a doubtful look.</p><p>He laughed, “Aye, shut it.”</p><p>Bobby bit his lip and turned pensive for a moment. When he looked at her, his eyes had a hint of vulnerability in them, “I was always looking fer someone to make me feel better about myself. As I grew older, I learnt <em>I’m</em> the only one who needs to accept me”</p><p>“I like that,” she smiled at him, feeling a little enamoured if she was being completely honest, which she was trying not to be right now. She cleared her throat to shake the feeling “Oh, I have to see pictures though!”</p><p>He grinned widely at her, “I’ll show yeh when we get out.”</p><p>“I’d love that! Can I come visit you in Glasgow?” She could imagine going and meeting his family, and talking shit with them, mostly about Bobby.</p><p>“Aye! Yeh would get along great with my ma and da!”</p><p>She giggled, “I just want to hear all your embarrassing stories.”</p><p>“Pretty sure I’ve told yeh loads.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I bet they’ve got the <em>reaaaallllyyy</em> good stuff!”</p><p>He huffed, “Hmm… maybe yeh <em>shouldn’t</em> come visit.”</p><p>“Too late,” Jess smiled as she strained the pasta and left it to sit while she added canned tomatoes and cream to the veges.</p><p>After a moment Bobby asked, “What’s yer comfort food then?”</p><p>She grinned and waved her hand at what she was making.</p><p>“Pasta? This recipe?”</p><p>She shrugged, “I make it different every time, but all you need is veges, cream and pasta and you are golden.”</p><p>He pretended to look horrified, “No cheese?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, true. That’s a topping though.”</p><p>“So why pasta?”</p><p>“Oh, um… It’s silly… and melty,” she said quietly.</p><p>He watched her for a moment, his eyes searching her face, “I like silly, melty stories. Especially yers.”</p><p>“Well, uh, when my mum left, it was just me, my sister and dad and like, none of us knew how to cook. For a while there me and my sister attempted to learn how to make mac’n’cheese. But we were really bad at it. So, it was a year of god awful mac’n’cheese every night. Oh, except when my dad cooked; he would put sausages in the oven and we’d all joke that we were having ‘roast’ for dinner,” she giggled at the memory, “It was just kind of like, this awful thing happened to us, but we never stopped trying to make the best out of the ingredients we had or the hand we were dealt. And I guess pasta reminds me of how a little love and laughter can get you through anything.” She shifted uncomfortably, suddenly very aware that she might have just bared her soul to someone she had known for a week.</p><p>She met Bobby’s eyes and found he was grinning at her, big and wide, and his eyes sparkled with amusement.</p><p>“What?” she said after a few moments.</p><p>“Now I’m imagining <em>yeh</em> as a kid, probably an absolute shit; nothing's changed.”</p><p>She let out a giggle, Bobby instantly making her feel a little less self-conscious for her word vomit.</p><p>He smiled softly, “Yer always have this ‘nothing will get me down’ attitude, and now I can see why yeh don’t let anything affect yeh.”</p><p>“Oh, it does. It’s just there’s not a fuck tonne I can do about it right? So no point in worrying or letting shit get you down. I’m an expert bridge builder!” She hadn’t given it much thought before, but now she realised that it probably was something she’d done all her life.</p><p>He chuckled, “As in ‘get over it’?”</p><p>She joined in his laughter, “Yeah, exactly like that.”</p><p>She added the cooked vege, sauce and fresh tomatoes to the pasta, mixed it together and found a large serving bowl to pour it all into. Grabbing a bunch of bowls, she placed them on the bench. She raised her eyebrow at Bobby, who nodded eagerly, and she made up two bowls, grabbing cheese out of the fridge and grating it on top before handing him one.</p><p>He yelled out, “Jess made pasta!” to the rest of the Islanders as she came around and sat down in the stool next to him.</p><p>Gary, Henrik, Ibrahim and Jo all came running into the kitchen and started serving up; the boys immediately picking up forks and digging in. No time wasted.</p><p>“This looks great babe,” Henrik grinned at her.</p><p>“Tastes great too,” Bobby nodded happily.</p><p>Jo looked at the pasta and scrunched up her nose in disgust, “I don’t like mushrooms, I’m <em>not</em> eating this. It doesn’t even look that good anyway, catering gives us better options than this crap,” she said in a snarky tone, looking at Jess like she’d purposefully put them in to spite her.</p><p>Bobby automatically put his hand on her knee beneath the counter, presumably because he thought she was about to kick off. She wasn’t; this wasn’t worth her time.</p><p>Ibrahim said quietly, “I don’t think she did it on purpose Jo.” Jess felt a bit sorry for him as he looked pleadingly at Jo.</p><p>While she felt bad about her not getting to eat, Jess also felt like she needed to lay her boundaries with Jo. Using a gentle tone, she said, “I’m really sorry Jo, if I had known I honestly wouldn’t have put them in there. But, please don’t speak to me like that, it’s not very nice.”</p><p>Jo just glared at her and then stormed off.</p><p>Jess sighed but shook off her irritation and looked at poor Ibrahim, who looked like a puppy who had been kicked. Knowing he loved comics, she joked, “So, if I have a nemesis now… does that make me a superhero?”</p><p>He let out a loud laugh, smiling gratefully at her, “What would your name be?”</p><p>“No, no, more importantly, what would be my <em>power</em>?” she put her hand on her chin and looked expectantly at him.</p><p>Ibrahim frowned in thought, “Maybe turning people to stone, like Medusa… you know… because you’re… really beautiful. Stunning really…” he blushed deeply as he said it and dropped his eyes.</p><p>She loved a cheeky flirt more than the guy sitting next to her but she could never tell when Ibrahim was joking or not, he didn't have the most obvious sense of humour. Honestly, what he'd said left a sour taste in her mouth and faltered for a moment. Bobby must have noticed the slight shift because he briefly squeezed the hand that was still on her knee.</p><p>Luckily, and as per usual, Henrik didn’t notice the short second of weirdness and he piped up brightly, “I think you’d be like wonder woman, a lasso of truth, just whipping everyone into shape!”</p><p>Jess laughed, she was really enjoying being in a couple with the weirdo.</p><p>Bobby smirked and regarded her, “I could definitely get behind tha’ outfit.”</p><p>“If I were wearing the outfit <em>you</em> would not be getting behind it,” she threw back at him.</p><p>He chuckled lightly and Gary reached out to high-five her, “Oof! What a burn!”</p><p>She smirked at Bobby, “Shall I call a nurse to check that out for you?”</p><p>He grinned back at her, “Lass, if yer wearing a nurse outfit, yeh can check meh out whenever yeh like.”</p><p>“Don’t know if I’d check you out… might check you in though.”</p><p>“I like tae sound of being checked in… an’ out an’ in...” he said slowly as he tried to keep a serious face.</p><p>“Sounds like a good ride, when can I get off?”</p><p>Bobby broke first and started laughing, the rest of them all joining in.</p><p>When they’d calmed down Jess said, “No, OK, but I want a <em>cool</em> power. Like telepathy would be super cool. Hello free drinks for the rest of my life!”</p><p>Gary scoffed, “I doubt you’ve ever had to pay for a drink in your life.”</p><p>“I know I’d pay for a round…” Henrik joked, and Jess cracked up laughing, giving him a high-five.</p><p>Ibrahim looked quizzically at her, “So is free alcohol the only reason you want telepathy?”</p><p>“Well, that and always being able to tell when people are telling the truth.”</p><p>“Sounds like you’ve been lied to in the past?” he asked her.</p><p>"It's not <em>that</em> deep, just be nice if people told the truth all the time, it’s not hard.”</p><p>Gary snorted, “That’s what she said.”</p><p>"Gaz, if it's nae hard, yeh got problems mate," Bobby quipped, making Gary blush.</p><p>Jess and Henrik made eye contact, both trying not to laugh as Gary floundered for a response.</p><p>Ibrahim finished his pasta and sighed, “I should probably go find Jo…”</p><p>“Mmm… I should apologise to her at some point for last night,” Jess said, though she really didn't want to.</p><p>Henrik grinned brightly at her, “Actually, I don’t think you have to apologise for anything babe. You were spot on.”</p><p>“Yeah but clearly she’s holding a grudge and I’d rather not deal with the attitude. Plus, I probably shouldn’t have gone off like that. I can accept when I’m wrong. Only happens like once a year,” Jess smirked at the boys and they all chuckled at her.</p><p>Ibrahim walked off to the Villa and Henrik and Gary said they needed a lie down and walked off to the daybeds. Jess giggled to herself as she thought that they would actually make an amazing couple. Maybe Lottie would be down for a throuple?</p><p>Bobby smiled at her as he finished his pasta, “Ok, so yeh have proven yeh can bake, and now that yeh can cook…” he trailed off and casually ran his eyes down her body, “And I gotta admit, yeh <em>do</em> look decent in a bikini. I guess yeh <em>are</em> the whole package.”</p><p>“Oh shut up Bobs!” she actually felt her cheeks blush a little. Mostly because he always seemed to remember everything they’d talked about and she was so impressed by it. In her relationships, even friendships, she was always the one that remembered things and it was nice to be on the receiving end for once.</p><p>He took his hand off her knee and got up, taking their plates to the sink and started washing up. She was suddenly struck with how weird it was that him holding her knee that whole time wasn’t weird. She was a very touchy-feely person anyway, but she was still a bit surprised that it felt so… normal. It felt strange to think that just over a week ago she hadn’t known who Bobby was, and now he was her favourite person.</p><p>He looked so homely as he cleaned up. Actually, it was really hot. And she felt a brief flutter of desire as she watched him, smiling away to himself and humming a quiet tune. But honestly, who wouldn’t want a man who cleaned? Especially one as attractive as Bobby was. She pushed it out of her brain. They were 100% just friends and they were not going to complicate it with anything else. Sex, specifically. Especially considering he wasn't thinking about it at all. Nope, he was just thinking everything was purely platonic. No sexual tension here people.<em> I'm just his sister.</em></p><p>
  <em>Ha. Fucking sister. Ugh!</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby checked his reflection in the mirror, before heading downstairs. Being in the Spanish sun had darkened his complexion slightly, his caramel skin had turned a deeper shade and his freckles now stood out a lot more. He never really minded his freckles, but he knew they weren’t a super attractive part of him. He was wearing a white shirt with brightly coloured parrots all over it, tucked into brown cargo shorts. He always left his shirts half-unbuttoned, mostly because he kind of couldn’t be bothered but also because it was freaking hot here, and if he could wear no shirt at all, he would. The clothes weren’t the part he was focused on right now though. He was staring at his face. The face of someone who looked incredibly relaxed and happy. With the grind of everyday life, it had been awhile since he had looked, and felt, so happy.</p><p>Gary clapped him on the shoulder, “Take a picture mate.”</p><p>“Aye, want me tae send it yeh?” Bobby smirked at him.</p><p>“Ha ha,” he rolled his eyes, “Gonna get your graft on tonight then?”</p><p>Bobby sighed and turned around, “Nae many options around ‘ere though.”</p><p>Gary laughed, “You’re not wrong. Priya seems into you. Maybe even Hannah. I reckon you should just crack on with one of them and see where it goes.” Yeah, Gary wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know.</p><p>Bobby eyed him, “That what you’re planning to do?”</p><p>“Ah. Well, eh, I’m going to keep trying with Lottie, but well, Henrik is too, so…” he said while he looked at the ground. Bobby only felt partially sorry for him, he chose Hannah at the last recoupling so he really can’t be upset that Lottie might not be that into him anymore.</p><p>Bobby gave him a shove, “I find it hard tae believe yeh don’t have anyone else on yeh list.”</p><p>Gary smirked at him, “A few…”</p><p>“Aye, well here’s hoping they put some cheeky snogs on the cups tonight.”</p><p>Gary laughed, “Oh they will for sure!”</p><p>“Let’s go then,” Bobby said, and they walked downstairs and onto the lawn.</p><p>Earlier that day, a few of them had come up with an idea to play beer pong. But, being limited to just wine because ‘beer bottles looked trashy on camera’, they knew it would get real messy, real quick if they played with that as a substitute. Someone had come up with an idea that if we included dares in the game, the producers might let us. You know, for the added on-screen drama. Jess had immediately got up and went to find a producer. No one was at all surprised when she’d come back and announced they were getting a small keg for tonight. She could probably talk the pope into a one night stand. The only catch was the producers wanted to write the dares themselves.</p><p>Jess, Priya and the rest of the boys were already outside, watching Jess tap the keg and test the flow, while they talked amongst themselves. She looked absolute flames while she was doing it too. She had on yellow ¾ length high-waisted pants that were belted and a matching strapless but structured top that was cropped enough to leave a fair amount of skin left in between. Her heels matched the yellow of the pants perfectly and her hair was tied into two messy buns on top her head.</p><p>Both him and Gary had a perfect view of her ass as she bent over the keg. Her body being covered did absolutely nothing to hide how perfect her ass was. Jesus. Gary nudged him as they walked closer.</p><p>She must have heard them coming because she looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes as she caught both of them staring.</p><p>Jess stood up, pump in hand and started pouring beer into the cups and holding them out for him and Gary to take, “Make yourselves useful, pervs.”</p><p>He gave her a wink, took the cups and tilted his head around her, pretending he was trying to get another look. She huffed at him and gave him a little annoyed face. He actually loved that face. Annoying her was so much fun. Almost as much fun as making her laugh.</p><p>He walked over to the ping pong table that had been set up in the lawn and the others rushed to help get set up too. The rest of the girls came downstairs just as they’d set up 10 cups on each side in a triangle.</p><p>Jess announced the rules while throwing her arms about dramatically, “Right, we’re playing boys vs girls. If you miss, the other person gets a go. If you make a shot, the other person drinks, does the dare on the bottom of the cup and goes to the back of the line. The person who made the shot, gets another go against the next person in the line. Got it?”</p><p>Everyone cheered and the boys and girls took up opposite ends of the table. The word ‘line’ was used pretty informally, they all kind of stood in a semi-circle so they’d have a good view.</p><p>Gary was up first, and he made the shot perfectly against Jo.</p><p>Jo grumbled, drank the beer and read the bottom “Kiss the Islander you want to see naked the most” she walked up to Ibrahim and snogged his face off. Bobby saw Priya grimace and look away and Jess whispered something in her ear that made her laugh.</p><p>Gary missed his next shot against Lottie, and they went back and forth until Lottie made the shot and Gary had to motorboat the girl he wanted to be in a couple with. He obviously motorboated Lottie while she tried to push him off her.</p><p>Lottie then went on to make a shot against Noah, surprising everyone, even herself, and Noah had to lick the face of an Islander that wasn’t his partner. He walked over to Jess, saying she’d be up for a laugh and she scrunched her face up but let him do it.</p><p>She then turned to the girls and fanned her face, screaming like a fan girl, “He licked my face. He licked my face. I’m never going to wash my face ever again,” and mocked fainting from excitement, while everyone laughed.</p><p>Next up was Bobby. He stood at the table and stared Lottie down. She missed and he laughed loudly. He picked up the ping pong ball and threw it effortlessly into one of the cups. Oh, did he not mention he was good at this game? It was one of his 'moves' back in the day.</p><p>Lottie huffed and she had to twerk on the boy she found most attractive. Gary glared as she walked over and gave Henrik a little dance. Bobby caught eyes with Lottie, and she gave him a look that told him she just wanted to teach Gary a lesson. Probably not the best tactic to use against Gary; he wasn't the most secure person at the best of times. Jess found the whole thing funny, obviously, and high-fived Lottie, leaning over and trying to whisper something about her coping a feel of his junk.</p><p>Bobby nailed a shot against both Hope and Priya, and Jess was up next.</p><p>She walked up to the table. Well, if you can call what she did walking. She slowly strutted over, swinging her hips wide, biting her lip at him and giving him bedroom eyes. Even though he knew she was trying to put him off, he couldn’t help but feel distracted regardless. </p><p>As he was lining up his shot, Jess bent over the table, putting her cleavage in perfect line of his shot and his eyes flickered briefly to her as she slowly ran her finger down the front of her top. Without thinking it through, he took the shot and missed. <em>Fuck.</em></p><p>He looked up and she was giving him a smug look, “That was <em>way</em> too fucking easy Bee!”</p><p>“That was cheating and yeh know it.”</p><p>She pouted at him and put on a fake Scottish accent, “<em>Ah thou' yeh were nae a sore loser.</em>”</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her, holding back a laugh, “Just take yeh shot.”</p><p>She smirked at him, lifted her hand and tossed the ball into a cup without breaking eye contact with him.</p><p>He looked down at the ball in the cup and back up at her, “Fuck off. That was a lucky shot.”</p><p>She looked at him with fake innocence and gasped, “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it went in!”</p><p>Bobby downed the drink then read the bottom, “Kiss the two Islanders you most want to have a threesome with,” he smirked at her while the boys cheered and hollered. <em>Yeah, this was a good one.</em></p><p>Bobby held eye contact with Jess as he walked directly over to her. She didn’t break it and instead had a challenge in her eyes. She was daring him to kiss her. At the last second, he swerved and walked over to Priya, leaving Jess chuckling behind him.</p><p>Priya looked up at him with her sweet, beautiful eyes and he ran his hand into her hair, before whispering, “Can I kiss yeh?”</p><p>She nodded, closed her eyes and lifted her face to his. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her slowly but firmly. He was going to make a show of this. She made a cute little sigh and opened her mouth for him. He ran his tongue along hers as she brought her hands up to his chest and pressed herself against him. In the back of his mind he could hear everyone cheering so he slowed the kiss down and pulled away, smiling at her. Her face looked flushed and her pupils dilated. Just as he was pulling away, she leaned back up and gave him a small peck on the lips and a wink.</p><p>He chuckled and turned back around, to see everyone jumping up and down. Well, all but Noah and Ibrahim but whatever. <em>You guys ditched her, remember?</em></p><p>He decided to make a scene of who he was going to pick next. He walked slowly in front of the girls, making eye contact with each one. When he got to Jess, she crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at him. Part of him really wanted to kiss her but a bigger part of him really didn’t want to make it weird between them. The longer she stood there looking at him like she thought he was being ridiculous, the more he wanted to do it anyway.</p><p>He took a step towards her and she threw her arms out like she was exasperated, “Bobby, I’m not playing your game,” she told him.</p><p>He laughed. Yup, he was for sure going to kiss her now. He didn’t say anything and instead stopped right in front of her, grabbing her around the waist and smirking at her.</p><p>She gave him a sly smile, “We both know I don’t like sausage in my threesomes.”</p><p>“Aye, can yeh make an exception for me?” he joked.</p><p>She looked him up and down, as much as she could with their bodies so close. When she looked into his eyes, hers shone with amusement, “Fuck no,” she said playfully.</p><p>“Too bad,” he told her then lowered his face to her lips but paused just before making contact. He heard her suck in her breath, holding it in, but she didn’t move or break his stare. Damn it. Instead of closing the distance, he smiled and dropped his head to her shoulder, giving her a short, open mouthed kiss on it, making her laugh. Everyone boo’d, but he didn’t care what they thought.</p><p>She shook her head at him playfully before turning to Priya and asking, “So what do ya say Priya? You in?”</p><p>Priya blushed and looked at Bobby quickly before turning away, “Ummm…”</p><p>Jess hadn’t missed Priya’s little glance and she looked at Bobby with an amused smile, “Hmm… actually, maybe I’ll leave the two of you to it,” then she walked back up to the table, patting him on the chest as she went.</p><p>Bobby walked back to the boys and Gary looked at him like he was crazy, “Why didn’t you go for it man?”</p><p>He shrugged, “She didnae want me to.”</p><p>“So? It’s a game and she would have gone for it; you know she would,” Gary asked incredulously. Bobby had no doubt she would have if he’d closed the gap, but he didn’t want Jess to kiss him back because of a game. He wanted her to kiss him because she wanted to. Wait, no. He didn’t want Jess to kiss him at all. He meant in general. Yup.</p><p>“Probably, but I only go fer it if the girl <em>really</em> wants me tae kiss them. More fun that way.”</p><p>Ibrahim scowled at him, “Why did you kiss Priya then?” <em>Ok lad, you pied Priya off. You can’t keep her on a string, just in case.</em></p><p>Bobby smirked at the idiot and slowly, but deliberately, said, “Because she <em>wanted</em> me tae.”</p><p>Jess interrupted whatever Ibrahim was going to say next by yelling out, “Oi, clucking hens, who’s next?”</p><p>Henrik laughed and stepped up. Jess smiled at him, looked at the cups for a second, then turned her head and made eye contact directly with Bobby as she tossed the ball in and made another shot.</p><p>She looked down, putting her hands over her mouth in fake shock, “Another lucky shot! Oh my gosh!”</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her, but secretly he was fucking impressed.</p><p>Henrik made out with Lottie because she had the sexiest outfits. All the boys disagreed but it was his choice.</p><p>Then Jess made short work of Ibrahim, while still making eye contact with Bobby. Ok ok, he’d got the point; Jess was good at this game too. And Ibrahim kissed Jo because she was the girl he could see being his girlfriend. Jess made eye contact with Bobby and dramatically rolled her eyes. Trust the producers to put an awkward <em>'girlfriend'</em> card in there.</p><p>Lucas was up next, and Jess smiled flirtatiously at him and whispered, “Hope you get a good one babe,” before throwing the ball into a cup.</p><p>Lucas drunk his and then turned it over, “Give a girl of your choice a lap dance,” before he smiled smugly and grabbed a chair, pushing Jess down onto it.</p><p>The girls cheered and screamed while Lucas gyrated his hips in Jess’s face. Bobby had to admit the guy was a fantastic dancer. The entire time Jess hand one hand over her mouth as she giggled. When it was over Hope purred, “You’re a lucky girl Jess.” All the girls were fanning themselves, trying to cool down after his sexy display. And all the boys high-fived Lucas.</p><p>Jess got up and walked back to the table, shaking her head. Her eyes were amused as she looked over at Gary; her next victim.</p><p>Jess threw the ball haphazardly over the table, clearly not trying at all, and smiled at Gary, “You get one shot Gaz.”</p><p>Gary made it and pumped his fist in victory. Jess grabbed her drink, downed it then grinned as she read the dare “Suck the fingers of the Islander you would take home to meet your parents”</p><p>Hannah yelled out, “Ugh. Gross! Why do they keep putting these ones in?”</p><p>Jess smirked and looked up. Her eyes flittered to Lucas and she tilted her head at him. Bobby couldn’t tell what was going through her mind as she walked over to the boys but suddenly, she turned and her eyes met his. She smiled sweetly as she stood in front of him, grabbing his hand gently.</p><p>She looked up at him through her eyelashes and bit her lip. It was sexy as fuck. Even though he knew she was messing with him, he couldn’t help but feel a little turned on by this. Shit.</p><p>Jess brought his index and middle fingers to her mouth and whispered, “This is for sucking my toe,” then she wrapped her lips around his fingers and sucked them into her mouth, to the knuckle.</p><p>Jesus Christ. He could literally do nothing expect stand there. His gaze flickered between her eyes and her mouth, where his mind immediately conjured up images of other parts of him being inside her. Damn it. But, fuck. The feeling of her mouth around his fingers was so fucking hot that his cock twitched, and he tried desperately to talk it down. She alternated between sucking lightly and swirling her tongue around for a few seconds. It fucking left him breathless. He prayed that his face didn’t give away how much he was enjoying this. From the smug look in her eyes, he guessed it had indeed betrayed him.</p><p>Slowly, very slowly, she pulled his fingers from her mouth. She released him with a little pop and let his hand go, where it fell heavily to his side and he stood there gawking while everyone cheered. It was the worst. He couldn’t think of a single snarky thing to say to her.</p><p>She looked up at him with fake innocent doe eyes, “You alright, <em>brother</em>?”</p><p>He chuckled, breaking him out of his stupor, but not enough to think of anything to say back. Fuck. <em>So embarrassing.</em></p><p>She gave him a massive shit-eating grin, before turning around and going back to stand with the girls.</p><p>Henrik leaned over to him and whispered quietly, “That was fucking hot.”</p><p>Bobby coughed, “Yup.”</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Why you gotta be such a punk?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some Islanders get wet (eyebrow eyebrow). </p>
<p>More baking happens (please take note of my username; can't stop, won't stop). </p>
<p>Jess bores us to death with her boring ass chat (again).</p>
<p>Then the Islanders discuss the potential for a Murder Island spin off series (YES!!! COME ON!!! You have no idea how badly I want this to be a thing). </p>
<p>Annnddd... some really uncomfortable shit happens. Sorry.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING:<br/>The end of the chapter has issues of consent and a panic attack. Skip the last section of this chapter (after the Murder Island chat) and read the end notes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bobby was jolted awake when someone threw their arm around his waist and snuggled up into his back. Still dazed and half-asleep, he tensed up.</p>
<p>
  <em>Why the fuck is Lottie snuggling with me? </em>
</p>
<p>She was definitely not a cuddler, that's for damn sure; she'd practically ripped his arm off one time when he'd accidentally spooned her in the night. Shit, he didn't feel like being beaten up this morning.</p>
<p>He was just starting to blink his eyes open when the person whined sleepily, voice muffled in the duvet, “Booobbbyyyy… they’re making us get up.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh right. It's Jess. That makes more sense.</em>
</p>
<p>Should Bobby be questioning the fact that when he wakes up to find Jess spooning him, his first reaction is 'oh, that makes sense'? Probably. But he isn't. Instead, he's wondering why the bedroom is filled with light, but is dead silent, and why the all the beds he can see from this angle are empty.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh fuck, did I sleep in?</em>
</p>
<p>It's actually not too surprising, considering he and Jess had stayed up well after everyone had gone to bed, competing in an epic beer pong tournament. Or rather, pong tournament? Eh, point is, they didn’t actually drink the beer, more concerned with who was the better shot. Best of 3 quickly turned into best of 5, which led to best of 7. He groaned as he remembered Jess leaping around the Villa, rubbing her victory in his face. At this point he should stop competing with her. His ego couldn’t take another loss.</p>
<p>As he lifted himself up on one elbow, Jess tightened her grip around him, attempting to halt his movement as she grumbled, “Stoooppp, Bee.”</p>
<p>Chuckling quietly, he turned his head to see Jess lying on top of the covers, in her pj’s, blue this time, her face hidden as it pressed into the duvet that was still on his back.</p>
<p>“Lottie will murder yeh if she sees yeh on her side,” he warned laughingly.</p>
<p>“Death would be better.”</p>
<p>Jess groaned as he extracted himself from her grip, using her arm to roll her onto her back so she was forced to stop hiding and face the world. He sat up, grabbing his water and taking a swig as he watched her lazily throw an arm over her face.</p>
<p>“Why do you hate me too?”</p>
<p>“Who hates yeh?”</p>
<p>“Everyone!” she said as she struggled to sit up, “I was on the daybeds and they made me come wake you too. We have to be ready in an hour.”</p>
<p>Bobby held back a laugh as he watched her struggle to make her way into a seated position. It was the most ungraceful he'd ever seen her look, and it was hilarious. Like a baby foal attempting to stand for the first time. Added to that, her hair was an absolute mess, curls sticking out at odd angles, and her eyes were still puffy from sleep. <em>God, she's gorgeous.</em></p>
<p>He couldn't help but lean over to ruffle her hair up some more.</p>
<p>She giggled and pushed his hand away, “Cut it out,” she pretended to moan.</p>
<p>Chuckling lightly, he got out of bed, holding his hands out to help her off too, “Come on Lass, let’s get ready then.”</p>
<p>She took his hands and let him pull her to her feet, grumbling the whole time. Once she was up, she stood like a petulant child, lips pouting and arms hanging heavy at her sides.</p>
<p>“Aww… dinnae be like that Lass. I’ll make yeh a coffee.”</p>
<p>She perked up, smiling widely at him, “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yup.”</p>
<p>He’d been making her coffees every morning for the last week anyway. Though, he suspected she didn’t know that and he kind of wanted to keep it that way. Otherwise he'd have to answer awkward questions like <em>'why?'</em>. Truth was, he wasn't entirely sure why.</p>
<p>They walked in comfortable silence upstairs, her with a victorious little bounce in her step, which kind of annoyed him. He knew what was coming; some snarky comment about him making her a coffee. He could read her like a book at this point.</p>
<p>Exactly as predicted, when she got to the girls dressing room, she turned around and said triumphantly, “Now I know how to get you to make me coffees all the time!”</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes, “Nae, one time offer.”</p>
<p>“Nope, you can’t resist this face!” She pulled a full pout and shut the door behind her.</p>
<p>
  <em>Damn it.</em>
</p>
<p>Quickly, he got showered and changed, then went downstairs to make Jess her damn coffee, even though he was a little tempted not to, just to spite her. But, let's be real, he knew he was going to. May as well just skip to the end, where he did whatever she wanted. He may as well lean into the fact that he was whipped.</p>
<p>What would his mates say if they could see him now? At least if he were getting laid, it might make sense. Ugh.</p>
<p>As he neared the kitchen, he saw the place was a fucking mess, and in amongst the mess was Gary, muttering to himself.</p>
<p>“What the fuck have yeh done?” Bobby called out.</p>
<p>Gary looked up, frowning, “Eh, I’m trying to make a sandwich but… never mind, I’ll figure it out.”</p>
<p>
  <em>What? A sandwich? The food item even a child could make?</em>
</p>
<p>“Alright then,” Bobby shrugged at him, walking over to the jug.</p>
<p>As he waited for it to boil, he watched Gary. He was putting far too much mayo on a slice of bread, going over and over it, eventually causing the bread to split in half. Then he’d throw it in the trash and start again. By the time Bobby had finished making two coffees, he’d had enough of watching this shit show. Gary was a disaster.</p>
<p>“Right lad, I’m gonna make me and Jess one; just follow along,” Bobby announced.</p>
<p>He slowed down the process for Gary, taking him through it step-by-step, but honestly, no matter how much instruction he gave, Gary just couldn’t follow along. By the time they’d finished the lesson, Bobby had two perfect sandwiches and Gary had two pieces of broken bread covered in mayo.</p>
<p>
  <em>Jesus Christ.</em>
</p>
<p>“What’s going on here?” Jess called, taking in the scene before her cautiously, while her lip twitched as though holding back a laugh.</p>
<p>Her hair was still slightly damp from her shower, curling prettily over her shoulders, and she was wearing a bright orange off-the-shoulder ruffled bikini. The showstopper for Bobby was the heeled shoes she was wearing; they had matching bright orange straps that were wrapped around and around her calves, all the way to her knees. He’d never been a shoe guy before, but honestly, they were something else. He had to advert his gaze before he stared a little too much, or worse, his mind conjured up thoughts of her legs wrapped around him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Shit. Stop thinking about that right now!</em>
</p>
<p>Gary and Jess were still talking about the sandwich when he tuned back into the conversation. Jess had her hand on Gary's arm, rubbing it in a comforting gesture, and Gary was looking forlornly at her.</p>
<p>“...my nan. I really miss her, you know, and I just wanted to make something that reminded me of her.”</p>
<p>Bobby could practically see Jess’s heart melting, “Aww babe. You want me to help?”</p>
<p>“Nah, thanks though. I’m going to keep trying, don't want to let her down,” he nodded at Bobby, “He made you one, go enjoy it.”</p>
<p>Jess looked at Bobby with a mixture of surprise and delight, a look that made him feel a little warm inside, “Did you really?”</p>
<p>He shrugged, “I was making myself one anyway.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Yeah... keep telling yourself that.</em>
</p>
<p>He slid the plate and coffee across the bench to her and she grinned at him, “You’re the best Bee!”</p>
<p>She took a sip, her eyes sparkling in amusement over the rim, “Still not French toast though.”</p>
<p>Just then, Hope yelled out “I got a text!” from the daybeds, where she’d previously been making out with Noah.</p>
<p>Muttering, “Fuck,” Jess quickly downed half her coffee, picking up her sandwich as she started walking out the kitchen.</p>
<p>Doing the same, Bobby followed her over, hurriedly attempting to finish his food, which wasn't the most practical idea he'd ever had, and had Jess snorting at him as she ate hers at a normal pace.</p>
<p>“Islanders, it’s time to find out who’s naughty or nice in today’s challenge #sinkorswim #revengeisbestservedwet,” Hope read out once everyone had gathered.</p>
<p>Eventually, everyone made their way to the challenge area where they found two massive tanks filled with water. There were platforms over each one and a mechanical arm that was attached to the side and hovered just in front of the end of each platforms. In between the two tanks was a giant timer and a massive banner that read ‘Dump or Save’.</p>
<p>Ibrahim read out the rules, “Two Islanders will be chosen at a time; each will each take a seat on one of the platforms. You will have one minute to discuss with the other player and decide if you are going to dump them into the water or save them and leave them sitting on the platform. Choose wisely #justiceorforgiveness.”</p>
<p>“Fun,” Hannah said excitedly.</p>
<p>“Yeah, until you get dumped,” Gary shot back at her, causing her to glare at him. <em>Oof.</em></p>
<p>Henrik grinned broadly as he read out a text he'd just received, “Oh yes! We’re starting off really spicy today! Jess and Jo.”</p>
<p>He didn't want to admit it, but Bobby got distracted for a moment, watching Jess untie her shoes, unwrapping the ties around her legs. Damn it, people are really going to start believing he has a foot fetish now.</p>
<p>When they were ready, both girls walked over, climbed up the ladders that were at the back of the tanks, and sat down on the platform.</p>
<p>The timer automatically started and still no one said anything.</p>
<p>Jess just sat there, looking calm and comfortable, like she always did, and Jo kept giving her side glances.</p>
<p>Jo cracked the silence first, “So Jess, after the way you yelled at me the other night, I’m guessing you’re going to dump me?”</p>
<p>“No, I'm not actually.”</p>
<p>“You’re impossible! I’m going to press ‘dump’!”</p>
<p>Jess nodded at her, “You do you,” before looking down and pressing one of the buttons.</p>
<p>Jo immediately scrambled to press one of hers in retaliation.</p>
<p>Narrowing her eyes, Jo asked, “What did you press?”</p>
<p>Jess shrugged, “Like I said, save.”</p>
<p>Jo started screaming at Jess, and the entire time, Jess’s expression never changed, “Fucking <em>bullshit!</em> You go on and on about needing to trust people in here, but you are the least trustworthy person here! You’re full of shit Jess! Nobody can believe anything you say!”</p>
<p>Once she was finished nutting off, Jess sighed loudly, looking at the timer; they had five seconds left. Slowly, almost resignedly, she said, “I really hope you learn something from this, Jo.”</p>
<p>The buzzer went off and Jess went plunging into the water, while Jo stayed safe on her platform. Jo’s look of pure shock was priceless, or at least Bobby thought so anyway.</p>
<p>It was dead silent, no one knew how to react. </p>
<p>Resurfacing from the water, Jess immediately burst into laughter, easing the uncomfortable air that had settle over the others, “Fuck that’s <em>freezing!”</em></p>
<p>Jo started furiously trying to apologise but Jess just rolled her eyes and ignored her, clearly not interested in what she had to say.</p>
<p>Bobby could do absolutely nothing except stand there, staring dumbly, as he watched Jess dive back down to the bottom of the tank, using her feet on the bottom to push off and hoist herself up and over the front of the tank. It was an impressive feat of strength. But that's not why he was currently drooling like a moron.</p>
<p>Landing gracefully on her feet, Jess stood there, water trailing in thick sheets all down her body, lifted her arms above her head and ran her fingers slowly through her hair, throwing her head back as she did. Bobby’s eyes were transfixed to her toned stomach, which glistened as water droplets ran down it, following the curves of her wide hips. Fuck. She was so fucking hot.</p>
<p><em>Crap. </em> <em>Collapsing souffles, burnt brownies, split meringues, Mary Berry.</em></p>
<p>Dragging his eyes from her body was almost painful, but he managed to do it. Somehow. Finally able to find her face, he found her smirking as she roamed her eyes down the line, making eye contact with everyone as she flicked her hair out. Shit, she was doing it on purpose.</p>
<p>He couldn't help the smile that took over his face; it was such a Jess move. He kind of loved her in that moment.</p>
<p>As a friend, of course. Nothing weird.</p>
<p>“Show off,” Hannah muttered under her breath; arms crossed over her chest.</p>
<p>Catching Bobby’s eye, Priya joked, “Is that threesome still on the table?”</p>
<p>Lottie snorted, “Honestly boys, put your tongues back in your mouth’s.”</p>
<p>Most of the boys coughed and shuffled their feet around a bit, likely trying to clear the image from their minds. He assumed so anyway, seeing as that's exactly what he was busy trying to do. It wasn't working out too well for him.</p>
<p>A smug smile took over Jess's face as she slowly walked over to join the rest of them, exaggerating her hip movements purposefully and eyes brimming with amusement.</p>
<p>Once Jess had settled in her previous spot between Bobby and Lottie, they heard someone's phone go off.</p>
<p>Lucas cleared his throat, “Right, um, well, Gary and Hannah are next,” he choked out, his eyes flicking to Jess as if he couldn't keep his eyes off her.</p>
<p>Bobby knew exactly how he felt.</p>
<p>As the game moved on, Lottie leant over to Jess to whisper, “Why didn’t you dump her?”</p>
<p>Jess shrugged, and attempted to whisper, “Because I’m not petty.”</p>
<p>In classic Jess style, she had accidentally said it loud enough for everyone to overhear, causing them to snigger into their hands, while Jo glared at her.</p>
<p>No longer worrying about whispering, Lottie snorted, “Yeah but it would have been fun.”</p>
<p>“I only have fun with people I like,” Jess turned and smirked at Lottie, changing her tone back to playful, “I really hope me and you get up there. You’re going in and I’m going to enjoy every second of fucking with you.”</p>
<p>“I’m not afraid of you. Plus, you just told me what you’re going to do.”</p>
<p>“Hm, I guess you’re right. Or… am I already fucking with you? Am I in your head Lottie?”</p>
<p>Lottie scoffed but didn't reply, instead alternating between glaring at Jess and sending her suspicious glances.</p>
<p>Chuckling under his breath, Bobby saw Jess smile and give him the side eye before she subtly put her palm out flat in front of Bobby. Just as casually, he reached down and gave her a low-five. It felt like he was in on her jokes, and he couldn't deny it made him feel a little special.</p>
<p>Gary &amp; Hannah dumped each other, fitting really. Priya dumped Ibrahim and then Noah, and Lottie and Hope both chose to dump the other.</p>
<p>Jess smirked as she read a message from her phone, “Bobby and Lucas.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck, yes.</em>
</p>
<p>Bobby practically skipped over to the tanks; hearing Jess stifle a giggle as he did. Once he sat down, he gave Lucas a shit-eating grin as he watched him saunter over and take position. Lucas had a smug look on his face and Bobby couldn't <em>wait</em> to wipe it off him. This was going to be fun.</p>
<p>“So, Lucas, feeling alright?” Bobby drawled casually.</p>
<p>Lucas huffed, “Can we just get this over with? You’re obviously going to choose dump, so let’s just spare the dramatics.”</p>
<p>“Am I?” Bobby forced his tone to sound like he was asking him a genuine question.</p>
<p>“I know you have some kind of problem with me.”</p>
<p>“Do I?”</p>
<p>Lucas glared at him, clearly exacerbated. Then suddenly, his face shifted and he smiled, almost menacingly, “Because I’m with Jess.”</p>
<p>Bobby raised an eyebrow at him, “Are yeh?”</p>
<p>“I'm the one she wants,” he said smugly.</p>
<p>Bobby put his finger on his chin, tilting his head so he could look Jess in the eyes, “Yeah... she’d <em>probably</em> forgive yeh if yeh dumped me right?”</p>
<p>Lucas followed his eye and looked at Jess too.</p>
<p>Bobby had to channel every part of his self-control not to burst into laughter as Jess immediately turned her expression from one of amusement and curiosity, aimed at him, into one of concern, meant for Lucas. She knotted her eyebrows together and gave Lucas the smallest of head shakes; a silent plea, begging Lucas not to dump Bobby.</p>
<p>The moment Lucas turned back to look at Bobby, Jess shot him a conspiratorial wink.</p>
<p>Remembering her words from the first day, the first one-on-one conversation they'd had, Bobby was sure, more than ever, that they would indeed make an amazing friendship couple and no one would be able to keep up with them. Though, because he genuinely wanted them both to find love eventually, he couldn't help but feel like it was a shame they were just friends.</p>
<p>The 5 second warning bell rung, pulling him from his thoughts. Bobby reached out and pressed a button, while Lucas scrambled to do the same.</p>
<p>The buzzer went off and Jess and Bobby laughed hysterically when Lucas went into the pool whilst Bobby remained safe on the platform.</p>
<p>Resurfacing, Lucas immediately scowled as he saw Jess bent over, overcome with laughter, “What the hell? Did you plan this?”</p>
<p>She tried to give him an apologetic smile as she gasped for air, “No! I just – you looked so concerned - that it was true – I <em>had</em> to play along – Come on, it’s a little funny babe!”</p>
<p>Lucas scowled for a little longer, but then sighed and cracked a small smile, “Alright, you got me.”</p>
<p>“Sorry mate, good game though!” Bobby said, not really meaning it at all.</p>
<p>
  <em>One hundred percent worth it.</em>
</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as they went and joined the others.</p>
<p>The game continued with Henrik saving Lottie and her dumping him, and Ibrahim and Noah dumping each other.</p>
<p>Henrik looked at Jess as he announced, “Oh babe, you ready to go again? It’s you versus Bobby!”</p>
<p>Jess pumped her fist, giving him a shit-eating grin, “Yes!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Ok, now this is going to be fun.</em>
</p>
<p>They took their places, now both regarding each other with massive smiles, both just as excited as the other. As soon as the timer started, both Jess and Bobby immediately leant forward and pressed a button.</p>
<p>Giggling, Jess asked, “What did ya pick Bee?”</p>
<p>“Guess.”</p>
<p>“Dump. You <em>for sure</em> want to watch me get out of the water again!”</p>
<p>“I think all the boys would be pissed if I did nae do it. My hands were tied Lass.”</p>
<p>She nodded sagely, “You <em>had</em> to. I get it.”</p>
<p>Bobby put his hand over his heart, pretending to be grateful, “That means a lot.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes dramatically.</p>
<p>“Yeh live tae torture me, so yeh picked dump too. We’re even I guess,” he shrugged.</p>
<p>Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she said, “Or maybe I just want to see you pull out <em>your</em> sexiest moves when you get out?”</p>
<p>“Aye, but I would nae want tae have all the girls after me, gotta give the other boys a fighting chance.”</p>
<p>She laughed, “Oh, ok then Casanova.”</p>
<p>The warning bell went off and they both sat there, grinning stupidly at each other while it counted down. There was a small challenge in her eyes as she looked at him, but she looked confident and relaxed, even putting her arms behind her and leaning back.</p>
<p>
  <em>So fucking cocky.</em>
</p>
<p>Finally, the buzzer sounded. Nothing happened.</p>
<p>Jess let out a disappointed sigh and muttered, “Pussy,” as she was getting up and climbing off.</p>
<p>Once he was on the ground, he said, “That’s the thanks I get fer saving yeh?”</p>
<p>She winked and skipped off to join the others, who were all boo’ing at the fact that no one had gotten wet.</p>
<p>Taking his place next to her, Bobby leant down to whisper, “I’d never dump yeh.”</p>
<p>She gave him an incredulous look, “You already tried once, remember?”</p>
<p>Bobby wasn’t at all surprised that one of the boys had told her about him voting to save Marisol.</p>
<p>He just shrugged in response, knowing she didn’t <em>really</em> care.</p>
<p>Playfully bumping his arm with her shoulder, she whispered, “I would never dump you either Bee.”</p>
<p>Though he tried, he couldn’t help that his heart fluttered a little at her words.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>After the challenge, he was asked to the Beach Hut and was subjected to a bunch of questions about why he chose to dump or save people.</p>
<p><em>Blah, blah, blah.</em> He made tons of jokes and played it all up like he was meant to.</p>
<p>Only one question gave him pause.</p>
<p><strong>What do you think about Jess?</strong> Without thinking too hard about it, he just decided that he wanted to tell the world how amazing she is, as if they couldn’t see it for themselves, “Everything I learn about Jess makes me like her more. She is the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, but her beauty isn’t just about what she looks like. It’s all around her. In the way she treats people, the way she acts, the way she pours care, understanding and acceptance out to everyone around her. I love being around her because she is so much fun, even when she’s grumpy. I really hope I get to be her friend for a long time. I have already forgotten what my life was like before I met her.”</p>
<p>He didn't even care that it might have been too much. He meant every word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the end of the challenge, Jess was the only one who hadn’t dumped anyone, which, to everyone's surprise, awarded her a prize; a Jacuzzi date for two.</p>
<p>After declaring herself the Villa’s Mother Teresa, <em>and</em> a quick victory dance, she had chosen to go with Lucas. Obviously.</p>
<p>Honestly though, she was just looking forward to getting a moment of peace. Part of her wished it was a Jacuzzi date for one; that would have been <em>ideal</em>.</p>
<p>But alas, her sitting in the hot tub by herself probably didn't make good TV, so here she was, in the hideaway hot tub, sipping champagne, with Lucas.</p>
<p>Could be worse.</p>
<p>And, to be fair, she was kind of enjoying having her body pressed into his as they sat side by side; her skin tingling at the contact. Plus, he made for a great view.</p>
<p>“It’s not often we get time alone in the Villa,” he whispered suggestively, eyes flicking to her lips.</p>
<p>
  <em>God his voice is sexy.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>No, wait, stop it. Think chaste thoughts.</em>
</p>
<p>“How about we stick to safer topics; politics, rare diseases, grandparents?”</p>
<p>He groaned, “Every day that goes by without kissing you, is a day I die a little.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck. Hard same.</em>
</p>
<p>Perhaps it was just the forbidden part of it that made her want to kiss him so badly, but here, in a hot tub, away from everyone else? She wanted to <em>so</em> fucking bad.</p>
<p>
  <em>So much for chaste thoughts, Jess.</em>
</p>
<p>Opting to ignore what he'd said, she changed the subject, though her voice still came out a little huskier than intended, “Tell me about your life back home.”</p>
<p>He sighed and moved into a more comfortable position, legs still touching hers, “Well, I guess it’s mostly work. When I go out, it’s with friends to a classy wine or cocktail bar, or out to dinner. There are so many great restaurants in Oxford I’d love to take you to.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? I’d love to go; I haven’t spent much time there.”</p>
<p>“Well when we get out of here, you’ll have to. Maybe you'll even decide to move there? That’s where I’ll be after all.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Er...</em>
</p>
<p>Masking her discomfort at this talk of the future, she giggled, “Oh, sure. So what do you do for fun? You know, to let down your hair?”</p>
<p>He frowned a little, confused by the question, “That.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh. Huh. Really? Eating out?</em>
</p>
<p>“Oh right,” she let out a little laugh, “Sorry. And ride your motorcycle, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s always a good way to get out of your head,” he said smiling fondly.</p>
<p>She nodded and took a sip, trying to not let her awkwardness show on her face. Seriously, was it her? Why couldn't she make the chat flow right now?</p>
<p>Completely at ease, Lucas grabbed a piece of her hair and twirled it around his fingers as he asked, “When you picture your future partner, where do you imagine them?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Well, if you pictured your future? Are you in a bar, a boat in the middle of the ocean, an island somewhere, what?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Shit. Ok. It's just a random question. Stop freaking out about the word future. It's fine. You're chill. Relax.</em>
</p>
<p>Jess frowned, pretending to be in thought as she quickly finished her glass and refilled it. <em>Need. More. Wine.</em></p>
<p>Speaking slowly, she answered, “I don’t know, it’s not something I’ve thought about before...”</p>
<p>“Before meeting me?” he wiggled his eyebrows playfully at her.</p>
<p>Gulping down the rest of her new glass, and yes, refilling it again, she deflected his question, “Why are you even asking?”</p>
<p>“Mmm... Something my cousin said about being able to tell your compatibility if the image you have of the future is the same. For example, if I picture my partner in a fancy hotel, but they picture being on a farm, we’re probably not compatible.”</p>
<p>“So is that what you imagine? A fancy hotel?”</p>
<p>He chuckled lightly, “No… I imagine going to events with my partner on my arm while she charms the pants off all my colleagues,” he smiled thoughtfully as he looked at her, “Now I’m imagining you in my fantasy and it looks perfect to me.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Um, how about no?</em>
</p>
<p>Jess made a noncommittal sound in her throat as she tried not to let her distaste show. She was <em>not</em> a trophy wife; that life did not appeal in the slightest. But... would she do it to make him happy? <em>That</em> was the million dollar question.</p>
<p>Try as she might, she just couldn't picture it. What would happen when they got old? Would they just be a two wrinkly, greying, unhappy people, being absolute snobs at ridiculous parties? Jess struggled not to laugh out loud at the image that flashed in her mind.</p>
<p>It was hard to pay attention as Lucas continued talking, telling her about some of the events he usually goes to. Charity balls, fundraisers, awards nights for other practitioners, university sponsored events. It sounded like a right fucking bore to her. She felt bad for feeling like that though, maybe she would like that life? After all, her first boyfriend had given her the domestic life, and it ended in pain.</p>
<p>Maybe domestic bliss wasn’t going to be her future? Maybe she needed something different this time? Maybe Lucas could give her that?</p>
<p>Fuck. Why was she even getting so worked up about this? She hadn't even kissed the guy  outside of a challenge; she didn't need to decide <em>right now</em> if he was the fucking one. Seriously, this was Love Island, there was no way this was forever anyway. What is her problem?</p>
<p>Thankfully, the producers must have heard her fucked up internal dialogue because, at that moment, they got a text to say the date was over. She had never loved her captors more.</p>
<p>After drying off, Lucas pulled her in close, cupping her cheek as he murmured, “This was our second date, do I get a kiss this time?”</p>
<p>“Mmmm,” she whispered, inching closer to him, “Patience, Dr. Koh.”</p>
<p>"Fine," he groaned, dropping his head to kiss her cheek and adding, “I like it when you call me that, but I'm not technically a doctor.” </p>
<p>“I know, still hot though.”</p>
<p>
  <em>I mean, I did only say it for the truly awful 'patient/doctor' pun, but whatever. You didn't get it.</em>
</p>
<p>As they walked back outside, Lucas spotted Henrik at the gym and immediately asked, “Mind if I go work out with Henrik?”</p>
<p>“Nope, I'll see you later.”</p>
<p>She waved half-heartedly while looking around the Villa. Ibrahim and Jo were once again making out on the daybeds, Hannah and Priya were watching Henrik, and now Lucas, at the gym, Lottie and Gary were chatting on the loungers by the pool, Bobby was in the kitchen, apron on, looking like he was cooking something, and Hope and Noah were nowhere to be found, likely hooking up inside somewhere.</p>
<p>Ugh, great. Nothing exciting happening, as per usual.</p>
<p>Without really thinking about it, she found herself walking to the kitchen. She had no idea why, but if there was an option to hang out with Bobby, she always took it. It occurred to her that maybe it was a little strange that she always felt a pull towards him. But it was likely because he was just fun to be around. Right?</p>
<p>Plus, his smile when he saw her walking over, was totally worth it. She’d ditch everyone else just to see his stupid freckled face light up like that. <em>Stop being so freaking cute!</em></p>
<p>“Bee! Whatcha doing?” Jess asked, jumping up so she was sitting on the unused part of the bench.</p>
<p>Bobby raised his eyebrows at her, and said in a mock offended tone, “Can yeh not tell?”</p>
<p>She eyed the ingredients he had laid out, “Some sort of baking…”</p>
<p>“Thank god we have Sherlock Miller on the case!” he rolled his eyes at her and started whisking the ingredients in the bowl, leaning his hip against the counter casually so he could look at her.</p>
<p>“Why you gotta be such a punk McKenzie?”</p>
<p>“Whatever, yeh love it.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes dramatically, making him chuckle, “So what <em>are</em> you baking?”</p>
<p>“Cupcakes,” he said, his eyes lighting up in amusement.</p>
<p>“Bobby McKenzie! Are you trying to seduce me?”</p>
<p>“Trust me Lass, if I was, yed nae stand a chance,” he wiggled his eyebrows and she let out a laugh.</p>
<p>“I have no doubt about it, especially if you’re wearing the same kilt that dominates my fantasies of you.”</p>
<p>She immediately regretted saying that. Truth be told, she had actually had a sex dream last night about Bobby in a kilt and it was… weird. Like <em>really</em> weird. There was a whole dance routine and a camera crew present. Still, bringing it up again flashed some images in her mind that she’d rather not have right now. Images of his... Nope. Not going there.</p>
<p>
  <em>He thinks of you as a sister. He thinks of you as a sister. Stop being a goddamn creep.</em>
</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows in surprise then burst into laughter, “Fuck Jess, a kilt huh?”</p>
<p>“Easy access,” she joked with a smirk.</p>
<p>He laughed harder, setting the mixture he was whisking on the counter as he struggled to breathe, “Is that why yeh wear dresses?”</p>
<p>“I mean, it’s not often I go commando, but it certainly helps speed the process along when I do,” she winked at him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck. Stop talking about sex. Right now.</em>
</p>
<p>“Efficiency <em>is</em> key tae a good shag. I say dae it all the time,” he swept a hand towards her outfit, “Now even.”</p>
<p>She looked down at her bikini bottoms and smirked at him, “I will if you will,” she nodded at his swim trunks.</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows at her, giving her a shrug and reaching for the front of his shorts.</p>
<p>Leaning her hands on the counter behind her, she smiled sweetly at him; daring him to go through with it. In the back of her mind she wondered how she always managed to get herself into these weird sexual stand-offs with Bobby. Also, why did she enjoy it so much?</p>
<p>To her absolute horror, he suddenly turned around and lowered his trousers slightly, flashing half his bare ass. She almost choked. Holy <em>shit</em>, she did not expect <em>that</em>.</p>
<p>“Bobby!” she screamed with laughter and he pulled his pants back up, turning around and shooting her a victorious grin.</p>
<p>She couldn't deny he had a great ass. But she wasn't thinking about that. Not at all.</p>
<p>Eventually she calmed down and he crossed his arms, regarding her knowingly, “Yer turn.”</p>
<p><em>Damn it. I'm </em>really <em>tempted... but...</em></p>
<p>“You win this round, Bee.”</p>
<p>He gave her a massive shit-eating grin and walked to the cupboard by the oven, pulling out a muffin tin and cupcake liners.</p>
<p>“What flavour?” she asked, nodding to the mixture on the bench.</p>
<p>Setting his things on the bench, Bobby was still grinning widely, much to her annoyance, “What’s yer favourite?”</p>
<p>“Why? Are you making these for me? So sweet!” she cooed, jumping off the bench and walking over to take the liners so she could set them in the tray for him.</p>
<p>He watched her with an amused smile, “Yeh wish. Just curious.”</p>
<p>Once she'd finished her self-assigned task, while trying not to think about why she just randomly started helping him, he began pouring the batter into each case.</p>
<p>“Blueberry. Or Lemon. Or both!” she threw her hands up dramatically, “It’s so hard to decide! But those are my favourite flavours of <em>allllll the flavours</em>!”</p>
<p>“Hmmm… So a little sweet and fruity, but also acidic and tart? Sounds just like yeh!”</p>
<p>She looked at him with mock horror, “Did you just call me a tart?!”</p>
<p>Bobby immediately stopped pouring the batter and started laughing. Jess tried to hold onto her indignant face, but his laugh was so loud and infectious that she couldn’t help but join in.</p>
<p>Once she’d calmed down, she picked the batter up and continued pouring the cupcakes.</p>
<p>“Dinnae overfill them Lass,” he called as he walked to the fridge.</p>
<p>She mocked him under her breath, “<em>Dinnae overfill them Lass,</em>” and earnt an, <em>“Oi!”</em> from him that amused her to no end.</p>
<p>God she loved pissing him off.</p>
<p>“Lucky fer yeh, I was making lemon cupcakes, and even luckier, they ‘ave blueberries here!” he held up a container of blueberries that he must have found in the fridge, looking at her like he was <em>elated</em> by this news.</p>
<p>“Really? I can have both?”</p>
<p>“Yup!” he grinned at her and took out three berries, dropping them into one of the cupcakes.</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed the container, “First, nowhere <em>near</em> enough blueberries,” she dropped a few more into the cupcake, “Second, one cupcake will not be enough!” she smirked at him as she dropped blueberries into a second cupcake, looking at him with an eyebrow raised in challenge as she reached in to get more to add to a third. For the sole purpose of annoying him.</p>
<p>Snatching the container he said, “Yer a shit. Stop fucking with my cupcakes Lass!” then he grabbed the tray and opened the oven, putting them in and setting a timer.</p>
<p>“Is it icing time?” she couldn’t help bouncing on her feet a little. It was her favourite part.</p>
<p>“Patience grasshopper, we’ll clean up first and <em>then</em> we can dae that.”</p>
<p>“What’s this <em>‘we’</em> business huh?”</p>
<p>His eyes sparkled mischievously as he walked over to her, “Yeh made a mess, yeh gotta clean it up.”</p>
<p>“I did not-”</p>
<p>She was cut off by Bobby throwing a blueberry at her. While he howled with laughter, she stood there, in complete shock, watching as it bounced off her top and hit the ground.</p>
<p>She looked down at her orange bikini top to see there was a little purple stain left.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, you wanna play like that huh Bobby?</em>
</p>
<p>“You ruined my top!” she growled at him.</p>
<p>She started shifting closer to him as his eyes widened and he started immediately apologising, “Oh shit, I’m so sorry, I did nae -”</p>
<p>Grabbing a handful of blueberries, she cut him off by shoving them at his face; some going into his mouth, most smooshed all over his face.</p>
<p>It was so satisfying and she giggled with delight as he angrily wiped his face, smearing purple everywhere.</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s <em>it,</em>” he growled and started towards her.</p>
<p>Laughing, she backed away, running out of the kitchen and across the lawn, as he chased her down. She had already learnt that he was faster than her, but she kind of hadn’t thought this far ahead.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck, fuck, fuck. What next?</em>
</p>
<p>Jess was still desperately trying to figure out her game plan when suddenly, he grabbed her, picking her up over his shoulders and running over to the pool, chucking her in effortlessly.</p>
<p>Her scream was cut off as she hit the water. Shit, it was fucking cold and she desperately tried to reach the surface, coughing and spluttering. Once she’d cleared the water from her eyes, she found Bobby already halfway across the lawn, laughing his head off as he walked away.</p>
<p>If she wasn't so annoyed that he'd won their fight, she might have found it funny too. But she <em>was</em> annoyed, and it <em>wasn't</em> funny.</p>
<p>Alight, maybe she was just pretending to be annoyed. Still. Not funny.</p>
<p>Swimming over to the edge, she found Lottie and Gary sitting on the loungers, both giving her an amused smirk.</p>
<p>“Oh shut up,” she muttered sullenly as she climbed out, causing them to cackle.</p>
<p>Jess felt her phone go off, grateful again that their phones and mic packs were all waterproof, though not exactly comfortable to wear in the pool. Begrudgingly, she made her way to the Beach Hut, letting Bobby know as she walked past.</p>
<p>Now inside the hut, she was grilled over her choices today and she hammed up her responses for the camera.</p>
<p>And then they got to the serious questions.</p>
<p><strong>How was your date with Lucas?</strong> “It’s always great to spend time with Lucas. I can’t wait till we’re coupled up and we can spend more time together. I’m enjoying getting to know him.”</p>
<p><strong>What do you think of Bobby?</strong> Jess grinned at the screen, excited for the chance to talk about him, “The more time I spend with Bobby, the more I like him. He is absolutely gorgeous, inside and out, and he really cares for people. Plus, he loves a cheeky flirt and we all know I’m 100% down for that!" she winked at the camera before continuing on with her mindless Bobby rant, "Seriously though, when Bobby talks to you, it’s like you’re the only person he wants to listen to and that makes you feel so special. He deserves someone incredible and I hope she arrives soon. I’m telling you all now, Bobby is the greatest man you’ll ever meet, and I do not understand how he ended up on a dating show. How is this boy single? Someone snap him up!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Jesus Christ. Yeah yeah, the audience gets it, you're Bobby's number one fan.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>God. You're a twat.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bobby was <em>still</em> laughing to himself as he cleaned up the kitchen, the cupcakes already cooling on the rack.</p>
<p>As he got the ingredients out for the icing, he couldn’t help but wonder what icing Jess would like best. When she’d told him she liked lemon and blueberries, he had been so excited. He was making lemon cupcakes because they were his favourite, and the fact that she liked them too made him really happy. He’d gone from making cupcakes because he was bored, to making cupcakes specifically for Jess. It was so frustrating that she’d managed to wrap him around her finger. The worst part was that he didn’t even care. He’d never been so invested in a friendship before in his life.</p>
<p>Being trapped in a Villa all day every day would do that to you though. He wondered what their friendship would be like in the real world. They probably wouldn’t be as close. He’d miss it. He'd miss her.</p>
<p>After her Beach Hut visit, Jess walked back in, still a little wet, but she clearly had dried off a little.</p>
<p>She stopped dead when she saw him and immediately started laughing, loudly and with abandon.</p>
<p>“What?” he asked.</p>
<p>She shook her head, not able to speak through her laughter and instead, turned around and walked in the direction of the Villa. He could hear her laughing the entire way.</p>
<p><em>Weird</em>.</p>
<p>A few minutes later she came back out, with a face cloth and a bottle in her hands, and started laughing again the second she spotted him.</p>
<p>“Seriously, what?” he asked, getting increasingly frustrated.</p>
<p>“You still – blueberries – your face – Bobby – I can’t!” she gasped through her laughter.</p>
<p>“Oh! Fuck!” Bobby widened his eyes in realisation.</p>
<p>After throwing her in the pool, he had <em>completely</em> forgotten that she done that. His face was probably stained now. Fuck. Looking in the reflection of the fridge, he could just make out purple stains across his mouth and cheeks. <em>God damn it! Fuck!</em></p>
<p>Still laughing, she motioned for him to come closer, pouring liquid from the bottle onto the face cloth before she reached up, gently wiping his face. The towel was warm, and he realised she must have run it under warm water for him.</p>
<p>Jess had calmed down to just the odd giggle now and she was smiling as she concentrated on what she was doing.</p>
<p>Bobby stood in silence and watched her, feeling a little enamoured. He had never had anyone be so... gentle with him before. Making slow strokes, she was taking care not to wipe too hard or forcefully. Every so often she'd rinse the cloth in the sink, with warm water, reapply more liquid from the bottle and start again. He couldn’t help but wish she’d never stop. It felt so nice to have someone care for him like this, it made his heart flutter in his chest.</p>
<p>
  <em> Fuck. Stop being such a melt.</em>
</p>
<p>“All done!” Jess happily announced, a huge, satisfied grin overtaking her face.</p>
<p>Getting a bit caught up in the moment, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. At first, she was a little surprised, making a little<em> ‘oh’</em> sound, but she quickly recovered, giggling sweetly as she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze.</p>
<p>God, having her so close to him felt so good. He had no idea why. It was just calming and comforting, and, for some reason, everywhere their skin touched made him feel warm.</p>
<p>“Thanks Lass,” he whispered in her ear.</p>
<p>She let out an amused huff that caused her breath to brush against his neck and send shivers down his spine, “It was more for me than you, I didn’t want to pee my pants from laughter every time I looked at you!”</p>
<p>Feeling a bit overwhelmed and needing space, he pulled back, “Right. Icing time?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” she nodded excitedly, doing a little side-to-side hop on the spot.</p>
<p>They set to work, making a white chocolate ganache for the icing, and filling the cupcakes with the lemon curd he’d made earlier. While they worked, he told her stories about his friends and his family and every time she laughed, so did he. He couldn’t help it really; her happiness was infectious.</p>
<p>Just as they were finishing the piping on the last of the cupcakes, Henrik, Lucas and Gary joined them in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Jess smiled brightly at them, “You boys look like you’re up to no good!”</p>
<p>Gary laughed, “Priya told us you were making cupcakes and obviously we wanted in.”</p>
<p>Smirking at Gary, Jess replied, “The protein count in these is dismal babes.”</p>
<p>“I’m not just about the gains,” Gary said, while lifting his arms and flexing.</p>
<p>Henrik snapped his fingers like he just thought of something, “Jess! We were just talking with the girls about what they’re looking for in a guy, what do you think?”</p>
<p>Bobby raised his eyebrow, “It’s probably not yeh, mate.”</p>
<p>Jess shot him a look, snorting as Henrik clarified, “That’s not what I meant Bobo! Though obviously I wouldn’t say no,” he wiggled his eyebrows at Jess.</p>
<p>“Henrik babe, we both know you couldn’t handle <em>all this</em>.”</p>
<p>“Nah I reckon I could give it a try,” he leant over the counter towards her, giving her a suggestive look, even while she swatted him away.</p>
<p>“Pretty boy over here,” Gary interjected, pointing at Lucas, who was scowling at the exchange between the couple, “Reckons a girl wants to be wined and dined, taken out and treated right.”</p>
<p>“I reckon you’re more an adventure girl myself,” Henrik winked.</p>
<p>“I'd never say no to adventure to be fair!”</p>
<p>“I <em>knew</em> you were my soulmate,” Henrik said, giving Jess a high-five, which she laughingly returned.</p>
<p>Not for the first time, Bobby wondered why they didn't just get together. They were an adorable couple, and Henrik was a much better fit for her than Lucas was. Maybe he should say something to her?</p>
<p>Scoffing, Lucas eyed Jess, “You want someone to sweep you off your feet though right?”</p>
<p>“I don't know… I mean, that kind of implies that it’s all just grand romantic gestures and no substance. That’s not exactly sustainable...”</p>
<p>Giving her an incredulous look, Gary said, “Come on Jess, <em>every</em> girl wants to be wooed!”</p>
<p>“A little effort is cute I guess, but only if it means something…” she chewed her lip thoughtfully, “I guess it comes down to your love language, right?”</p>
<p>“What’s that?” Henrik asked.</p>
<p>“It’s the thing that makes you feel loved. For example, mine is touch and acts of service. So, to feel loved by my partner, they’d do little things to help me out, and give me physical, <em>non-sexual,</em>” she emphasised pointedly at Gary, who had just started smirking, “...attention.”</p>
<p>“That’s why me and Rocco got so close, so quick; we were very cuddly and it happened to be both our language, so we connected.”</p>
<p>Seeing Lucas frown at this, Jess sighed, “Love applies to things other than romantic relationships, Lucas. I make an effort to speak my sister’s love language so that she always feels loved by me,” she shrugged, “It makes me feel good to know that the people I love, feel loved.”</p>
<p>Hand on heart, Bobby thought that was the cutest thing she'd ever said.</p>
<p>“How do you know yours?” Lucas asked curiously.</p>
<p>“I mean, there is a quiz, but also people tend to project their language onto others. So, if yours is touch, then you’re likely to touch your partner all the time. Problem is, if theirs isn’t touch, they don’t feel loved by you, and they don’t touch you as much as you’d like, so you don’t feel loved either.”</p>
<p>“So if your languages don’t match you aren’t compatible?” Henrik asked.</p>
<p>“No, it's not a problem <em>if</em> you make an effort to love them in the way they want to be loved.”</p>
<p>“Huh.” Henrik said as the other boys all looked deep in thought about it.</p>
<p>Breaking the silence that descended on them, Bobby smiled at Jess, “Alright, what dae yeh reckon mine is, Miss Love-Guru?”</p>
<p>Jess beamed a smile that lit up her face, “Too easy Bee! You're literally making cupcakes for everyone right now; you’re an acts of service kind of guy.”</p>
<p>She’s probably not wrong. And touch. God he loved being touched. There was nothing quite like when someone wanted to be close to you all the time and touch you in little secret ways.</p>
<p>Putting his hand on her shoulder, Lucas asked, “And me?”</p>
<p>“Gifts. Without a doubt. You hate being in here and not able to shower your partner with things.”</p>
<p>He looked a bit taken aback and sulkily said, “You make it sound like I’m materialistic.”</p>
<p>She wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug, “You’re not babe. I got you, I’ll give you all the gifts when we're out of here.”</p>
<p>“Hmmm... that’s twice today you’ve mentioned being together on the outside. Already attached to me Jess?”</p>
<p>She laughed but looked a little flustered, “Well, er, I guess -”</p>
<p>At that moment, Priya came running over, shouting, “I’ve got a text!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Thank fuck.</em>
</p>
<p>Bobby didn’t know how much more Lucas and Jess future chat he could handle. Talk about awkward. And for some odd reason, uncomfortable.</p>
<p>They waited for the others to join them and then Priya read out, “Islanders, you have an hour to get ready and meet at the firepit #supriseending #publicvotes.”</p>
<p>“What? Is someone getting voted out?” Hannah said sadly, looking at Gary.</p>
<p>“I dunno, let’s go get ready and find out,” Gary told her, looping his arm around her shoulders.</p>
<p>At least they were getting on a bit better now. Turns out the Dump or Save challenge might have been cathartic for them.</p>
<p>Eventually everyone went back in the Villa, leaving just him and Jess in the kitchen. She looked at him, wide smile on her face like she was completely unfazed. <em>How does she do that?</em></p>
<p>He was bricking it. Him and Lottie had no chance if it was a dumping.</p>
<p>Reaching over, Jess grabbed a cupcake; one of the ones they’d put a berry on top of to show it had blueberries in it.</p>
<p>“Time for a taste test?” she asked, eyebrows raised.</p>
<p>“If yeh eat yers now, yeh won’t have one later when everyone else eats theirs and ye'll be sad.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes at him and pulled a knife out of the drawer, cutting the cupcake in half. Handing one half over, she announced victoriously, “Now we’ll both have half left.”</p>
<p>"Smartass," he muttered, watching her bite into the cupcake.</p>
<p>Her head was tipped back slightly, eyes closed as she let out a quiet, appreciative moan. He wasn’t going to lie; Jess made eating a cupcake look fucking <em>hot</em>.</p>
<p>“Mmmm... so good Bee,” she drawled huskily, slowly licking her lips.</p>
<p>Bobby caught himself absentmindedly following the movement and his mind flashed to thoughts about her tongue being wrapped around his fingers last night.</p>
<p>
  <em>Shit. Mind out of the gutter McKenzie.</em>
</p>
<p>To distract himself, he took a bite of the cupcake. Even he had to admit that the addition of the blueberries really made it something special. Perhaps he should get her opinion on all this baking creations? Her ideas weren't half bad.</p>
<p>Leaning back on the bench, he distractedly looked out across the lawn as he ate, thoughts drifting towards to who might be going home tonight. He couldn’t help it. The public knew he and Lottie were just a friendship couple. He could go home tonight, having never found what he came here to find. It sucked balls.</p>
<p>Without saying anything, Jess walked over to where he was standing, taking up the same position. She smiled to herself as she leant her shoulder into his, pressing herself against him in a move that he found oddly comforting.</p>
<p>He sighed and pushed thoughts of the dumping out of his mind. Instead focussing on what he was grateful for, which, in this moment, was both the cupcake and a friend who truly understood him.</p>
<p>Once they were finished their cupcakes, Jess rubbed his back lightly, looped her arm in his, and said cheerfully, “Come on then Bee, let’s go get gussied up for a funeral.”</p>
<p>Chuckling, he let her lead them into the Villa.</p>
<p>She always just <em>knew</em> how to make him feel better.</p>
<p>Walking into the boys dressing room was a shock; it was absolute <em>chaos</em>. All the boys, freaking out, discussing the public vote animatedly as they threw shirts and pants everywhere. What the fuck?</p>
<p>Bobby purposefully ignored all the chat, not ready to discuss his fears with the boys, and got dressed as quickly as he could. He put on a bright yellow shirt, hoping it would make him look more cheerful than he felt. It didn't really work.</p>
<p>Making an early escape, he walked into the hallway, and straight into Jess. </p>
<p>Her face looked pretty much the same as before, maybe with a little extra mascara and some nude lipstick, but he still thought she looked stunning. She raised her eyebrow in amusement as he took a step back so he could see what she was wearing. It was a simple dark green wrap around dress that hung from her breasts like a waterfall and clung to her curves. <em>Damn it, why did she always have to look so sexy?</em></p>
<p>She tisked him, “I said funeral, not a luau,” then unexpectedly reached out and touched his shirt where it sat unbuttoned over his chest, rubbing the material through her fingers.</p>
<p>Looking up at him thoughtfully, she added, “You look good in yellow though Bee, so I’ll allow it.”</p>
<p>He put his hand over his heart, “Oh thank yeh Jess! I don’t knae if I’d have survived yeh disapproval!”</p>
<p>Rolling her eyes, she grabbed his arm, leading him downstairs.</p>
<p>“Couldn’t stand the <em>‘who do you think is going home’</em> chat either?”</p>
<p>“Nae, it’s all bullshit,” he muttered, speaking more confidently than he felt.</p>
<p>“Got that right.”</p>
<p>Bobby and Jess took a seat at the firepit, arguing about the best dessert while they waited for the others to join. Jess thought it was lemon meringue pie, Bobby thought ice cream sundae. He was, of course, right. At least according to him.</p>
<p>After a while, everyone staring meandering down, no one speaking. It was an eerie silence that sent a chill down Bobby’s spine, even as Lottie took her seat next to him and held both his hands in hers.</p>
<p>Once everyone had sat down, they waited.</p>
<p>And waited.</p>
<p>It was hell.</p>
<p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p>
<p>Everyone exchanged looks as Gary read out, “Islanders, the public have been voting for one couple to change the game…”</p>
<p>Relief flooded through Bobby. This might not be good news, but at least he wasn't going home. Yet. Maybe.</p>
<p>Jess snorted, breaking the silence that followed the announcement, “So what, turn it into Murder Island?”</p>
<p>Henrik chuckled, eyeing her up, “I know who I’d kill first.”</p>
<p>“Mate, you wouldn’t even get <em>close!”</em></p>
<p>“Bet I could,” he argued.</p>
<p>“Listen buddy, I could take <em>you</em> with my goddamn eyes closed!”</p>
<p>Looking around, Jess glared at the rest of them, “I'd easily take you <em>all!</em> I have my strategy ready to go. Just call me Katniss Everdeen.”</p>
<p>A few of the Islanders laughed, the tension dissipating as Hannah piped up too, “Wait, if you're Katniss, who's Peeta?”</p>
<p>“Obviously me; we're coupled up,” Henrik announced confidently.</p>
<p>Jess shrugged, “I dunno... Bobby still has eleven cupcakes, I can be bribed.”</p>
<p>“I have perfume,” Priya offered.</p>
<p>Ibrahim frowned, "Er, I could teach you golf?"</p>
<p>Laughing, Jess said, "Alright, so golf, perfume or cupcakes? Your life is on the line and that's the best you guys have?"</p>
<p>Lucas smirked, "You know what I could offer you, Jess..."</p>
<p>"Gross," Lottie gagged a little, "Obviously my tea reading abilities will help you win, so I'm the best bet Jess."</p>
<p>“Wait, hold up,” Gary said, holding his arms up, “Why are we all just <em>agreeing</em> that Jess would win Murder Island?” </p>
<p>Jess gave him a <em>fucking</em> smug look. Bobby had never seen her look so pleased with herself. It was kinda hot. And also annoying.</p>
<p>Hope jumped in before he could take Jess back down a notch, “<em>Thank</em> you Gary! I reckon I've got a way bigger chance.”</p>
<p>“Can we please stop talking about this?” Jo muttered sullenly.</p>
<p>Ignoring her, Bobby threw his arms out dramatically, “Right. Sod this firepit nonsense, I challenge yeh all tae a pool noodle duel, right here, right now!”</p>
<p>“Bobbbyyy... we're in our evening wear,” Hannah whined, while everyone else, especially Jess, looked excited by the idea.</p>
<p>Not that he was specifically looking for her reaction or anything.</p>
<p>Before anyone could respond, they were all interrupted by the sound of impending doom.</p>
<p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p>
<p>Sighing in disappointment, Lottie stood up, “This couple will have the power to recouple <em>everyone</em> in the Villa. They will have 30 minutes to decide who they want to pair up and will not be allowed to consult with any other Islander. The power is all theirs #mixitup #poweroftwo.”</p>
<p>Suddenly, the previously light mood evaporated as everyone gasped.</p>
<p>Hope and Noah hugged each other tighter, while he patted her head, “It’ll be OK, Duck.”</p>
<p>“At least no one is going home,” Ibrahim said, trying to be helpful.</p>
<p>“Tonight,” Jo added sourly.</p>
<p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p>
<p>Lucas read out, “The couple who will have all the power tonight is…” and then shrugged, as though he didn’t have the end of the message.</p>
<p>Jess rolled her eyes, “Really dragging it out, aren’t they?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p>
<p>Bobby looked down at his phone, briefly smiling at the picture of him and Jess that was still his screensaver, before reading the message.</p>
<p>
  <em>Of course that’s what the public voted, duh.</em>
</p>
<p>He looked at Jess and she smirked, reading the answer in his eyes before he spoke the words, “Jess and Henrik.”</p>
<p>Even as the rest of them groaned, Jess and Henrik high fived and wrapped their arms around each other in a hug.</p>
<p>"Is it weird that I'm a little disappointed Murder Island isn't a thing?" Jess asked before she walked off with Henrik.</p>
<p>The lightheartedness she'd left them with quickly dissolved as they all started to whisper about who they thought they might choose, everyone looking nervous. Well, everyone except Lucas, who looked smug; Jess was <em>definitely</em> choosing him.</p>
<p>Bobby didn't really have time to think about that though, he was more concerned about who <em>he</em> might end up with.</p>
<p>God, he hoped it wasn’t Hannah.</p>
<p><em>Jess wouldn't put me with Hannah... </em> <em>Would she?</em></p>
<p>He tried to think about if he'd done anything to piss her off that might make her do it, just to annoy him. Shit. He <em>had</em> said lemon meringue pie was another of her basic bitch choices...</p>
<p>Damn it.</p>
<p>Now he was bricking it all over again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jess and Henrik took their places in front of the bench seats, leaving everyone else to stand in a semi-circle at the edge of the pit, awaiting their fate.</p>
<p>It occurred to Jess that it kind of felt like her and Henrik were getting married and they were all there to watch. Stifling down a laugh, she pushed the thought out of her mind so she could at least <em>seem</em> like she was taking this seriously.</p>
<p>Bobby chuckled and loudly announced, “We are gathered here today…”</p>
<p>Jess snorted and shot Bobby an amused look.</p>
<p>
  <em>Bobby gets it.</em>
</p>
<p>Clearing her throat, she started them off, “Obviously this was a really hard thing for me and Henrik to do but we really <em>tried</em> to couple everyone up correctly. We may have made some wrong choices, but I hope you know it wasn’t on <em>purpose</em>.”</p>
<p>Henrik nodded and squeezed her shoulder, “This couple is one we’ve decided to keep together. They are one of the strongest couples and it seems like they want to be together, so it made sense. The first couple is Noah and Hope.”</p>
<p>Noah and Hope both breathed out a sigh of relief and hugged each other before taking a seat.</p>
<p>Jess smiled, “Next, we are keeping this couple together because we felt like they deserved more time to get to know each other. The next couple is Ibrahim and Jo.”</p>
<p>Jo looked absolutely shocked and Jess had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Why did Jo think she was a shady person? It made no sense at all.</p>
<p>Before they took their seats, Ibrahim cleared his throat, raising his voice so everyone could hear, “Jo, I have really enjoyed getting to know you so far and uh, I wanted to ask, well, um, will you be my girlfriend?”</p>
<p>
  <em>What the actual fuck? Girlfriend? Am I on Candid Camera?</em>
</p>
<p>Jess was aware of Jo saying yes, and them talking some more, but she wasn't listening anymore. She was far too busy concentrating on keeping the smile on her face and not bursting out into laughter.</p>
<p>
  <em>Had Ibrahim gone crazy? They'd known each other for two days! Girlfriend? That’s fucking mental!</em>
</p>
<p>Jess caught Bobby’s eye, which turned out to be a mistake because he looked just as amused as her; his eyes lit up and his shoulders shaking slightly as he tried to hold his laughter in. Quickly, she averted his gaze, pressing her lips together.</p>
<p>
  <em>Shit. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.</em>
</p>
<p>She clapped politely with everyone else, concentrating on her breathing.</p>
<p>As all the excitement - <em>again, what? </em> - died down, Henrik cleared his throat, “Next up. Me and Jess fought a little about this one but, in the end, we agreed to let this couple take a shot to make it work. The next couple is Lottie and Gary.”</p>
<p>Lottie gave Jess an appreciative smile, and her and Gary shared a long hug before taking their seat.</p>
<p>Jess reached for Henrik's hand and gave it a squeeze. He had wanted to couple up with Lottie, but Jess had insisted that they give Lottie and Gary a chance to see what was between them, if only because that's what Lottie wanted. If it didn’t work out, he could always throw his hat in the ring then.</p>
<p>Besides, Henrik had another girl he was semi-interested in too, which had been a bit of a shock for her actually.</p>
<p>Catching Bobby's eye; it was his turn next. Recognising this, his eyes darted nervously to Hannah and Jess had to hold back a laugh.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh Bee, I'm not that cruel, come on.</em>
</p>
<p>She smiled at him as she spoke, her words chosen specifically for him, “We think that if these two people gave it a shot, they might actually find something special. We all saw a spark last night, and we really hope they <em>both</em> give this a proper go,” she raised her eyebrow pointedly at Bobby and he rolled his eyes, “The next couple is Priya and Bobby.”</p>
<p>Priya looked genuinely happy at this news and threw herself at Bobby, who chuckled and pulled her in for a cuddle. He gave Jess a sly smile as they went to sit down together.</p>
<p>There was just Lucas and Hannah left, both clearly able to work out who they were going to be coupled with.</p>
<p>Lucas had the biggest smile that Jess had ever seen, and she got a little distracted by looking into his eyes. She was fucking excited. <em>Finally</em>, they could be a couple.</p>
<p>And it had nothing to do with the fact she just wanted to be able to kiss him. OK, maybe that’s a lie... It had <em>everything</em> to do with it. What? She was ready to finally get some action around here.</p>
<p>She tuned in just as Henrik was finishing up, “… she is absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. I really want to couple up with Hannah.”</p>
<p>Hannah flew at Henrik, planting a massive kiss on his lips. <em>OK, wasn't expecting that.</em></p>
<p>Henrik gave Jess a fist pump as he went to sit down and she took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“This was a hard choice to make. I mean, look at all my options, I have no idea who to choose,” she said sarcastically as she waved her hand at Lucas standing there by himself. Most of the others laughed, while Jess and Lucas just continued to stare at each other, smiling across the fire.</p>
<p>“I’ve been smitten with this boy since he walked into the Villa, and I’m really happy we have a chance to couple up. Finally. I want to couple with Lucas.”</p>
<p>Lucas walked over to her, a determined look in his eyes that made her shiver. Instead of pulling her into a hug as she expected, he grabbed her hand and started dragging her away from the firepit.</p>
<p>“Lucas!” she giggled.</p>
<p>He ignored her, continuing to pull her along behind him while everyone else sniggered.</p>
<p>“Lucas! Stop!” she laughed as she had to run to keep up with him.</p>
<p>They made it just past the firepit before she stumbled slightly, loosing her footing. Letting out a frustrated growl, Lucas turned around, picked her up in a bridal lift, and carried her across the lawn.</p>
<p>
  <em>Jesus. Well this is kind of hot.</em>
</p>
<p>Reaching the daybeds by the kitchen, he dumped her unceremoniously onto the bed. As she bounced, she started to giggle, but it got caught in her throat as he followed her down, lying next to her, his body pressed close against her side, warming her.</p>
<p>Leaning over and running his rough fingers across her lips, he looked at her with dark, lust filled eyes. His gaze so intense, it sent shivers down her spine.</p>
<p>Oh god, she wanted to kiss him. She didn't even care that anyone could walk over at any time and see them. She didn't care about <em>anything</em> else.</p>
<p>“Hmmm… not the most romantic place for a first kiss,” she murmured, her voice husky from all the anticipation leading up to this moment.</p>
<p>He lowered his lips to hers, hovering just a few millimetres away, “I’m happy to wait if you want,” he told her smugly.</p>
<p>“Not a chance, <em>Dr. Koh</em>,” she whispered, running her fingers over his shoulders.</p>
<p>Lucas growled low in his throat, a sound that drove her wild, and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Taking charge of the kiss immediately, he pushed his tongue inside her mouth and deepened it. It was rough and passionate and she dug her nails into his shoulders, earning another low growl that shot right through her body.</p>
<p>Lust spiralled through Jess. She hadn’t been laid in a while and being around hot guys all day really took a toll on your hormones. And let’s be real, she had been dreaming about this moment since she first met him. The moment when they could kiss because they wanted to and not because of a challenge.</p>
<p>In her imagination, there were more sparks, more of a ‘this is right’ feeling. But hey, who cares, because he was a fucking <em>magician</em> with his tongue. Not to mention his hands. <em>Oh god, his hands</em>. Everywhere he touched felt like an electrical current running through her, connected to her core, flooding her senses with desire.</p>
<p>Pulling away slowly, he gave her a smug look as she whined in frustration, “Bet the other boys won’t kiss you like that.”</p>
<p>“Should I kiss them all and find out?”</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare,” he growled playfully, bringing his lips back to hers and sucking on her lower lip, “You’re mine.”</p>
<p>Jess wrapped her hands around his neck, as he slid his tongue over hers again, arching her back and pushing her chest to his. Letting out a groan, he gripped her hips, pulling her body even closer.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she was aware of some of the others cheering and yelling leud things, their voices getting closer and closer.</p>
<p>
  <em>Damn it.</em>
</p>
<p>Annoyed, even though she knew she was in the wrong, she broke the kiss and, without turning around to look at them, yelled out, “Piss <em>Off!”</em></p>
<p>“Get a room!” Jo yelled back.</p>
<p>“Oh, like you can talk,” Lottie snapped.</p>
<p>“Can I get you two anything? Some condoms maybe?” Priya called out cheerfully, causing everyone to burst into laughter.</p>
<p>Lucas chuckled, resting his forehead on hers, “They're not going to stop.”</p>
<p>Sighing, Jess grumbled, “I know,” taking his hand as he helped her off the bed and to her feet.</p>
<p>“Alright you fucking vultures! We’re done. Happy?” she called out to the others, noticing they were at lot closer to them than she’d thought.</p>
<p>They were all moving as a group in the direction of the kitchen. Probably to eat cupcakes. Most of them still laughing at having interrupted their make out session. Rude.</p>
<p>Gary laughed, clapping Lucas on the back, “Don’t worry, I’m sure Jess will give you a happy ending later mate,” dropping his voice he said, “Guarantee you she’s a firecracker in bed!”</p>
<p>Rage flooded through Jess, “If you ever talk about me, or <em>any</em> girl, like that again Gary Rennell, I swear to god I will shove your balls so far down your throat you’ll have to taxi to your nans place to pick them up again!”</p>
<p>Gary stared at her in shock, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.</p>
<p>
  <em>So. Fucking. Satisfying.</em>
</p>
<p>Bobby howled with laughter, “What have I told yeh about fucking with Jess, Gaz?”</p>
<p>“How do you know my last name?” Gary finally choked out.</p>
<p>Jess took a step towards him and he stepped back, eyes wide, “I. Know. Everything. Gary.”</p>
<p>Truthfully, she’d overheard the producers talking. He didn’t need to know that though. More fun this way.</p>
<p>“Yer cute when yer mad Jess,” Bobby said, still laughing his head off.</p>
<p>She threw him a glare, “Don’t even start with me McKenzie!”</p>
<p>Lucas chuckled and put his arm around her waist, “Come on love, leave the boys alone. You’re coupled with a man now.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Are you kidding me? Gross, Lucas.</em>
</p>
<p>Throwing her hands in the air, Jess stormed off, yelling, “I’m surrounded by fucking <em>idiots!”</em></p>
<p>“Hear hear!” Lottie yelled back, cackling with laughter.</p>
<p>
  <em>At least the girls get it. Or, well, Lottie does.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jess was enjoying the peace and quiet inside the Villa. She had hung out with everyone, laughing and chatting in the kitchen for a while but she’d gone back inside to go to the bathroom and realised that without anyone in it, it was silent. It was really nice actually. Off in her own little word, she had jumped up on the counter in the communal bathroom so she was sitting in between two of the four sinks, just flicking through all the selfies she had on her phone.</p>
<p>They were encouraged by the producers to take photos and videos so the team could post them onto the Islanders social media accounts as promotion for the show. At first it had made Jess uncomfortable, not knowing what they would be posting out into the world, but she’d gotten used to it now, and really, she was being filmed 24/7, so it’s not as if she had anything to hide anyway.</p>
<p>She was laughing at a picture she and Lottie had taken today, both soaking wet from being dumped in the tank by other people. Both of them were smiling stupidly wide, a rarity for Lottie, and they were looking off beyond the camera. Bobby had just told them a joke as they were taking the picture and Jess had pressed the button right before her and Lottie had burst into laughter. It was the cutest picture from the series of photos, but she mostly thought that because she knew Bobby was the source of their happiness in that moment. It was fucking adorable.</p>
<p>She was jolted out of her internal debate about sending that photo to the producers, or one she had taken of her and Lucas in the hot tub, when the bathroom door flew open.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey Jess, I was wondering where you’d got to,” Ibrahim said, smiling as he walked in.</p>
<p>“I got lost on my way outside.”</p>
<p>He let out a small laugh and walked to stand next to her, looking down at the picture on her screen, “You look cute in that picture.”</p>
<p>Jess pushed his shoulder lightly, “Bet you say that to all the girls.”</p>
<p>He stared at her for a moment, his gaze intense, and whispered, “Just you.”</p>
<p>Jess giggled at his banter, though it was always hard for her to tell when he was joking and when he wasn’t, “Don’t let Jo hear you say that!”</p>
<p>Resting one hand on the counter by her hip, Ibrahim sighed, “Yeah I guess I kind of have to be careful of flirting now.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh shit, was that meant to be flirting? Lol.</em>
</p>
<p>“I mean, surely it’s easy right? You asked her to be your girlfriend because you want to commit to her... Right?”</p>
<p>“I’m not really 100% sure why… it just came out.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Jesus Christ Ibrahim!</em>
</p>
<p>“You’re not regretting it already are you?”</p>
<p>Rahim stayed silent for a moment, looking down at the ground with his brow furrowed. Jess really felt for him. The poor guy was clearly struggling in here. He kept making bad decision after bad decision. This place affected everyone differently and she was a little concerned for his mental health. She wondered if maybe he had been to see the on-staff psychologist yet? Was it her place to suggest it? She didn’t really know the guy, maybe he was just always this flighty?</p>
<p>She reached out and touched his arm lightly, the gesture making him lift his head and look at her, “Babes, maybe you’re just getting cold feet here? Just give it some time. Try not to get in your head about this.”</p>
<p>Nodding slowly, he gave her a small smile, “You don’t think we moved too fast?”</p>
<p>“I mean, yeah, but I’m a commitment phobe, so don’t take my advice!” she shrugged, “If it feels right to you, that’s all that matters.”</p>
<p>“What... if it doesn’t?” he said slowly.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“What if it doesn’t feel right?” he said, his eyes bore into hers as he stepped a little closer, his thighs brushing against her legs as they dangled off the counter, “What if there’s something, some<em>one,</em> that feels more right?”</p>
<p>Shifting back a little further on the counter, Jess said, “Er, I guess you've got to go after what you want... but also, maybe talk to Jo first, you don’t want a repeat of what happened with Priya right?”</p>
<p>He chuckled, bringing his other arm to rest on the counter, effectively blocking her in. Jess didn’t feel uncomfortable, but it was a little weird... a lot closer than the two of them normally got, “No, I don’t,” he said, slowly nodding, “But you handled that pretty well last time.”</p>
<p>“I can’t always bail you out Rahim,” she said a little angrily.</p>
<p>He looked a little taken aback, “That’s not what I -”</p>
<p>She cut him off, “I know. I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” offering him a friendly smile.</p>
<p>“You are always so mature and thoughtful. Sometimes I worry that I fucked everything up. Sometimes I wonder if maybe someone like <em>you</em> is exactly who I need in my life.”</p>
<p>“Jo can be mature too,” Jess said softly, stopping her eye roll, “But she also challenges you and maybe -”</p>
<p>She cut herself off as Rahim leant closer to her, sliding his hands along the counter behind her so she had to lean back against the mirror to keep a normal,friendly distance.</p>
<p>“She’s not you,” Rahim whispered, his eyes flicked down to her lips and suddenly Jess was hit with a wave of panic.</p>
<p>It smashed into her like a freight train. She was trapped. She had nowhere to go, no way to get out of this. She felt so <em>stupid</em>. How had she let herself get backed into this position? She never let anyone do this to her. She hated being powerless. How had she not been paying attention? Fuck.</p>
<p>
  <em>Ok, it's ok, you're freaking out over nothing. This is just Ibrahim. Everything is fine.</em>
</p>
<p>But no matter how much she repeated it, panic still clawed at her throat, rendering her thoughts unless. She couldn't think straight, couldn't breathe, couldn't move. The feeling of being trapped consumed her.</p>
<p>In the back of her mind she knew she just had to tell him that she didn't feel the same, that she didn't want this. But for some reason, she couldn't. Her thoughts whirled and she couldn't grasp onto any of them, couldn't make any words come out of her mouth. God damn it. She tried desperately to push past the panic so she could think rationally, but it settled heavy on her chest and wouldn't budge.</p>
<p>Her voice broke pathetically as she finally managed to choke out, “Ibrahim, this - you - girlfriend - Lucas. What if - they walked in?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p>
<p>Clearly not understanding her very eloquent response, he smiled and leant even closer. Her mouth went dry, adrenaline pumping through her veins, as she was suddenly <em>very</em> aware of just how small she was compared to him. Her body had betrayed her; she never froze up; always had been a 'fight' kind of girl. She was so disappointed with herself in that moment. <em>Get a god damn grip!</em></p>
<p>He braced one hand on the wall beside her, moving even closer, causing his thighs to press tightly against her legs and she struggled to move them, squirming her ass on the counter as she tried to get purchase to move away. She felt like she was drowning. Her mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. Fuck. Why couldn’t she breath?</p>
<p>
  <em>Shit, shit, shit. Come on Jess.</em>
</p>
<p>Again, she choked on her words, trying to push them out of her mouth, not really sure what she was even trying to say, “This isn’t - I’m not -”</p>
<p>Grabbing her jaw softly in his other hand, Ibrahim lowered his face, brushing his lips against hers, encouraging her to respond.</p>
<p>Every bone in her body screamed for her to stop it, and, as though she weren't in control of her body and instead a bystander, she watched herself turned her head, arms limping attempting to push him away as she muttered pathetically, “No, please don't.”</p>
<p>And then, everything happened all at once, like someone had pressed 'play' again.</p>
<p>Ibrahim froze, confusion written all over his face as he regarded her. <em>Shit. Did he really not know?</em></p>
<p>At that same time, the door to the bathroom swung open and Jess turned to see Bobby standing in the doorway, his face frozen in shock as he took in the scene before him, her words still hanging in the air on a quiet echo.</p>
<p>Bobby was still, just standing there, blinking. The sight of him made her feel just a little calmer than she felt a second ago. Then Jess saw his face twist up in anger. She had never seen him look like that before; it was terrifying.</p>
<p>No. She didn’t want this to be a big thing. Please. He didn't know.</p>
<p>She choked out a single word “Bobby…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Bobby had first walked into the bathroom, his blood had run cold. He was in complete shock at seeing Jess and Ibrahim and his brain short circuited. He couldn’t move or speak. And then Jess had looked at him, eyes wide, panic and fear written all over her face. The words she had spoken echoed around in his head. He could see it in her eyes. She didn’t want this. She felt trapped. Ibrahim was twice her size and had her against the counter where she couldn’t escape. Rage had coursed through his body faster that he could stop it.</p>
<p>And then she’d called out to him, and he knew it wasn’t because she wanted it his help. She wanted him to stop. To not do what he was about to do. But he couldn't.</p>
<p>“Get tae fuck! Awa’ n’ bile yer heed, yeh lavvy heided wankstain!” Bobby yelled out as he stormed towards Ibrahim.</p>
<p>Ibrahim took a few steps back, holding his hands up, “Woah, mate, you –“</p>
<p>Bobby pushed him hard against his chest and he stumbled back against the shower door behind him, “Shut yeh puss, ye fucking walloper, yeh -”</p>
<p>Just as he was about to throw a punch into his stupid fucking face, he was cut off by a soft hand grabbing his arm. Looking down, he saw Jess, one hand over her mouth, eyes were begging him to stop. She looked terrified.</p>
<p>Immediately his priority shifted. He could deal with Rahim later, he wanted to make her feel safe.</p>
<p>He grabbed her and pulled her in to his chest, wrapping his arms around her, and holding her head against him. He’d protect her from everyone if he had to and he found himself whispering meaningless words to her for a few seconds, not entirely sure what he was saying or if she was listening.</p>
<p>“Oi, what’s all this yelling?” Gary said, his eyes darted around the scene as he stood in the doorway.</p>
<p>“The mangled fud were trying it un,” Bobby growled at Gary.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t -” Ibrahim started saying.</p>
<p>“Yer bum’s oot the windae, ye fuckin’ bampot.”</p>
<p>A few other people had turned up behind Gary, all talking, but Bobby wasn't really interested in any of them. He was here to look after Jess and he'd leave Rahim to Gary. Everyone else was unnecessary and could fuck off back where they came.</p>
<p>Gary looked confused, “Yeah but this is Love -”</p>
<p>“She didn’t want it,” Bobby cut him off.</p>
<p>Gary’s face went red as his eyes darted between Jess’s terrified expression and Ibrahim’s panicked one, “You what? What the fuck were you -”</p>
<p>Jess tapped Bobby on the chest, grabbing his attention from Gary yelling, she whispered, “Um, can we go? I don't want to be here.”</p>
<p>Bobby grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the bathroom, past the others, while a shouting match started behind them.</p>
<p>On auto pilot, he dragged her up to the rooftop, and when they got there, Jess immediately threw herself down onto the bed, arms stretched wide, legs still hanging off the edge. Letting out a frustrated groan, she closed her eyes.</p>
<p>Bobby suddenly felt very awkward. Did she want him to touch her? Was she OK? Did she need anything? What should he get? Should he make more cupcakes?</p>
<p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p>
<p>He started shuffling on his feet, not quite sure if he was staying or going.</p>
<p>Luckily, he didn’t have to think for too long. Jess reached a hand out silently and, when he put his hand in hers, she yanked him unceremoniously down next to her.</p>
<p>“Jesus -” was all he got out before she turned on her side to bury her face in his chest. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, slowly rubbing her back. She didn’t make a sound or move at all. Just lay there. It freaked him out.</p>
<p>After twenty minutes, he couldn’t take it anymore, he <em>had</em> to know if she was OK, “Yeh alright Lass?”</p>
<p>Humming in her throat, she nodded and lifted her head to look at him. She didn’t look scared or frightened anymore, just kind of not there. He couldn’t read anything in her eyes.</p>
<p>Sitting up to read her phone, she let out a small sigh, “They want me at the Beach Hut.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Fucking pricks.</em>
</p>
<p>Before he could say anything, she quietly asked, “Will you come with me?”</p>
<p>He nodded and they went downstairs. Putting an arm around her shoulders, he glared at everyone who tried to talk to her as they went. He had to give Gary the fingers because he hadn’t taken the hint and he might have found it funny if he wasn’t so concerned about Jess. Bobby also couldn't help but feel a little smug as Lucas came up, spouting some nonsense about him being the one to look after her, and, in response to Jess squeezing Bobby's waist tighter, he told him to fuck off.</p>
<p>Once they’d got to the Beach Hut, he cuddled up next to Jess, putting his arm around her waist. He wasn’t sure if it was to comfort her or because he needed comfort too. He was suddenly exhausted.</p>
<p>
  <strong>How do you feel about what happened with Ibrahim?</strong>
</p>
<p>Jess sucked in a breath and Bobby leant in to whisper, “Yeh dinnae have tae do this.”</p>
<p>She shook her head and took a deep breath before speaking to the camera, “I’m really upset by what happened with Ibrahim.”</p>
<p>“Wanker,” Bobby added under his breath.</p>
<p>Jess turned to him and gave him an admonishing look, “You don't even know what happened. He didn't know I didn't want it, I didn't tell him not to.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh fuck off, Jess.</em>
</p>
<p>He scoffed, “So? Consent isn't saying no.”</p>
<p>Trying back to the camera, Jess sighed, “He's right, and we're in a public forum, so let's talk about it. Consent is someone saying yes. If you don’t get a yes, there is no consent.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. In 'ere it’s confusing, but, even during challenges, we should all still be looking fer consent. We are nae forced to participate in anything, it’s still a choice. Yeh should not feel pressured tae say yes if you dinnae want to, and yeh should not pressure anyone else into saying yes. Also, just because someone doesn’t <em>stop yeh</em>, does <em>not</em> mean it’s a yes,” he finished, pointedly looking at her.</p>
<p>He had no idea why he was riding his high horse right now, but he knew that he didn't want anyone watching to think that what happened was OK. The details didn't matter, Jess was upset, that was all he needed to know.</p>
<p>“Listen, I'm not saying that it was OK. I didn't want to be in that position, I felt trapped and I panicked. He got confused, and that <em>doesn't</em> excuse him. Consent is a massive issue and there needs to be reform in the justice system and an attitude adjustment.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, <em>yer</em> attitude,” he muttered under his breath, mostly teasing.</p>
<p>She laughed and it made his heart flutter, overjoyed that she no longer looked dead inside.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, Bobby's opinion doesn't matter to me. In fact, <em>no one else's</em> opinion matters to me. This place is messed up, emotions get confused, lines get blurred. I really believe that he did not intent to hurt or upset me, and I have no doubt that he will feel guilty about this. This will leave a stain on his psyche for a while, it might be enough to damage his mental health and self-worth. On the flip side, I will walk away from this right now, this very second, with nothing more than a slightly uncomfortable memory. I'm not saying that every story is like this and no two situations should be treated the same. If this happens to you, absolutely do <em>not</em> just forgive and forget. Do whatever is best for you, whatever makes it feel OK for <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p>Jess took a deep breath, “But, this happened to <em>me</em>. The only person who gets to judge his actions is <em>me</em>. And<em> I</em> forgive him. I sincerely hope that you, the public, are able to find forgiveness for him too, because he doesn't deserve to be vilified.”</p>
<p>“Do you really want that?” he asked quietly.</p>
<p>“I do,” she said with conviction.</p>
<p>
  <em>Crap.</em>
</p>
<p>“Alright Lass. Look, I’m still mad at him, but I will stand behind yer decision, one hundred percent, no questions.”</p>
<p>She turned at looked at him, her eyes sparkling with gratitude as she reached out and squeezed his hand. She had told him once that she was a master bridge builder, but this was next level. Who was this girl? On one hand she can forgive someone who backed her into a corner, an hour after it happened. Then on the other, she holds her pain so deeply about an ex that she convinced herself to never fall in love again.</p>
<p>As they stared at each other, he could not believe anyone would want to hurt her. This woman, who loves so deeply she can’t bring herself to let anyone in, and yet has so much compassion and empathy that she can’t help caring for anyone who finds themselves in her orbit. Someone so determined to protect everyone else, and yet, so against anyone doing the same for her. He has never met anyone before who had so much unconditional love to give the world.</p>
<p>
  <em>Does she even know how special she is?</em>
</p>
<p>Breaking the silence between them, she giggled, “Um, so <em>what the fuck</em> did you even say back there?”</p>
<p>His brain struggled to let go of his pensive thoughts, “Er, what?”</p>
<p>“When you were yelling. It was just a bunch of gibberish. Seriously, my hovercraft is full of eels!”</p>
<p>He barked out a laugh. <em>Did she just quote Monty Python?</em></p>
<p>“I shit you not, there was a moment that I thought; is he speaking parseltongue? Can the snakes in the Villa understand him? Is he Voldemort or Harry?"</p>
<p>“Voldemort, duh. And if I was speaking parseltounge, <em>yeh</em> would understand me.”</p>
<p>She covered her mouth with a hand as she started giggling louder, “I may be a snake, but at least I'm not bat shit crazy!”</p>
<p>“Am nae,” he huffed.</p>
<p>She burst out laughing, “<em>Arrr tae!</em>”</p>
<p>When she’d stopped laughing, he pulled her closer for a hug, “I was protecting yeh honour, yeh should be worshipping meh, not mocking me!”</p>
<p>She looked up at him, fluttering her eyelashes, “Oh my knight in shinning armour!” she looked around her wildly and then pouted at him, “I don’t have anything to give you as a token of my favour!”</p>
<p>“Yer the worst,” he muttered.</p>
<p>“Nah I’m the best.”</p>
<p>Then she pressed her finger to his nose and added, “At boops.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Goddamit!</em>
</p>
<p>He reached out to get her, but she leant backwards, falling down onto the chair and grabbing his wrists so she could hold his hands away from her face. Squirming away from him, she was laughing happily even as he leant over and fought to overpower her.</p>
<p>To be fair, he wasn’t trying very hard, he’d gladly let her win if she’d keep laughing like that forever. Plus, he was very pointedly not getting too close. Having her wriggling under him like that was... a little too close for comfort.</p>
<p>Luckily, their play fight was interupted by his phone going off, and as they sat back up, Jess smiled smugly at him, like she’d won. He let her have it. This time.</p>
<p>“They want us to get back to the interview,” he read, both looking at the screen, realising the next question was already up.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Is there a romantic connection between you two?</strong>
</p>
<p>Bobby and Jess sat in silence, staring at the screen. He had no idea why, but his heart started beating loudly in his chest. Is there? He looked sideways at Jess, who was still staring at the screen, her face scrunched up in thought.</p>
<p>No. She was just his friend. A friend he wouldn’t mind banging, but still just a friend. He didn’t have feelings for her. No. No way. He wouldn’t even know what that looked like. It was just mildly annoying, and <em>very</em> inconvenient, lust.</p>
<p>Jess looked at him, admiration and care written all over her face as she broke into a wide grin. He smiled back at her, knowing that they probably, once again, looked like complete idiots, sitting and smiling at each other. He didn’t care. He loved looking at her. It always felt like they were sharing a secret between them, though what the secret was, he didn’t know.</p>
<p>“Would it be weird if I said you were my best friend?” she asked him suddenly.</p>
<p>“Nae, yer mine,” he admitted. No hesitation.</p>
<p>In mock horror, she grabbed her chest, “What will Big J think?”</p>
<p>“Aye, this probably wasn’t the best way tae tell him… should have waited till I got home. Let him down easy.”</p>
<p>She nodded sagely, “Listen Jonno, it’s not you, it’s me…”</p>
<p>“I met someone else, I did nae mean tae hurt yeh…” he continued on.</p>
<p>“It’s just, she’s so beautiful and amazing and funny and sweet and -” she said, while flicking her hair around, basking in her own pretend glory.</p>
<p>He cut her off, “And a right bloody pain in meh arse.”</p>
<p>She howled with laughter and he joined in.</p>
<p>For the first time in his life, he felt like he had something he was scared of losing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you didn't read the last section: Ibrahim kisses Jess, she panics, Bobby jumps in and kind of unnecessarily 'saves' her, everyone finds out. Jess &amp; Bobby go to the Beach Hut where they tell each other they're best friends and they joke about Bobby pieing off Big Jonno.</p>
<p>Let me know your thoughts in the comments 😁</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Oh that’s hot, Grandma</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tensions are high in the Villa and things don't get any better, especially for Jess (eyeroll, I don't care at all).</p><p>But, silver lining, Bobby gets his mind blown by the most basic thing in the world. Oh my dear sweet boy, it's not <i>that</i> ground breaking.</p><p>Also, sorry in advance if you're an Aries, I didn't mean it!</p><p>Feel free to send hate mail to:<br/>Lottie Badass<br/>69 She Dgaf Lane<br/>Hell, 666</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess reached an arm out, expecting to find Lucas, but the sheets were cold.</p><p>
  <em>Not quite how I expected to spend my first morning coupled up with him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Or first night either.</em>
</p><p>By the time she’d gotten to bed last night, Lucas was already waiting and, after a quick peck on the cheek, had rolled over to his side without a word. Jess had <em>kind of</em> understood; there was a lot of uncertainty around who kissed who. Still, he could have asked. They could have talked.</p><p>Ugh. Whatever. He could do what he wanted.</p><p>Groaning, she sat up and opened her eyes, a little surprised to find it was still dark and everyone was still asleep.</p><p>
  <em>Wow, he must have really wanted to get away from me.</em>
</p><p>Dragging her feet, she got up, making her way to the kitchen. She was so fucking tired; last night had been <em>a lot</em>.</p><p>After leaving the Beach Hut, her and Bobby had walked back into chaos. Everyone was screaming at each other about what had happened between Jess and Ibrahim, the Villa divided on who was to blame and what had happened. As though they had anything to do with it.</p><p>All of it was just noise to Jess as she found Jo’s eyes in the crowd and she accused Jess of trying to steal her boyfriend. She hadn’t known what to say to any of it, she felt overwhelmed by it all. She wanted to forget it had happened. Bobby had stepped forward then and told everyone to shut the fuck up because it was between Jess and Ibrahim, no one else. At least, that’s what she thinks he said, there was a lot of gibberish in there too. For the first time in her life Jess was grateful to have someone stick up for her. Someone who would fight her battles when she was too tired.</p><p>They had then spent <em>sooo</em> long talking to the producers and psychologist, honestly, it was a bunch of bullshit for Jess. But at least they had agreed to let Ibrahim stay.</p><p>None of it mattered anyway. She was over it. She just needed a coffee. Asap.</p><p>Nearing the kitchen, she was shocked to see Lucas and Bobby there already. Lucas with his back to her, partially blocking her view of Bobby. Even only able to see part of his face; Bobby looked pissed. They were definitely not having a friendly chat.</p><p>“That’s nae true. Yeh need tae put yeh feelings aside –”</p><p>“I don’t need advice from you!”</p><p>“Clearly yeh do or -” Bobby cut himself off as he noticed Jess walking towards them. Giving Lucas a small nod in her direction, he coughed and turned away.</p><p>Turning, Lucas smiled as he saw her, walking to meet her halfway and wrapping his arms around her waist.</p><p>“You’re up early,” he drawled in his <em>‘I’m being sexy’</em> voice.</p><p>“Mmmmm,” she hummed, not really sure what to say. <em>What is he playing at?</em></p><p>“I’m going inside, but I made you a coffee.”</p><p>
  <em>It's gonna have sugar in it, isn't it? Damn it.</em>
</p><p>“That's so <em>sweet</em>, Lucas, thanks,” she said, trying not to laugh at her own personal joke. <em>What's wrong with me?</em></p><p>“Anything for you, love,” he whispered softly, running a hand over her hair, smoothing it out for her.</p><p>Ugh! She hated when people did that. She didn’t care if her hair was messy, why did other people?</p><p>Tugging her hair, he pulled her closer, pressing his lips rather aggressively onto hers. She was a little taken aback and it took her a moment to respond, but then, thinking to herself, <em>eh, fuck it</em>, she ran her hands along his shoulders as he deepened the kiss further, tangling his tongue with hers. He really was a good kisser.</p><p>Just as she was really getting into it, he pulled away, flashing her a smug grin as he stepped back from her, and throwing a glance, or more accurately, a glare, over his shoulder at Bobby before he left.</p><p>Jess stood there for a few seconds, watching him walking away. Fucking confused.</p><p>
  <em>Ok... but what the fuck was that?</em>
</p><p>Feeling like she'd just gotten whiplash, she dazedly walked to the kitchen.</p><p>As she approached, Bobby grinned, waving his hands at one of the bar stools, and she took a seat opposite him, accepting the cup of coffee he slid over to her.</p><p>“I saved it from Lucas,” he said with a wink.</p><p>What would she do without Bobby? Not only did he make a great coffee, but he also was like eye of the storm. No matter what crazy shit was happening around them, he was always the same.</p><p>She gave him an amused smile, “You could have just told him how I like it.”</p><p>“Aye, so could yeh,” he said with a chuckle, taking a sip of his drink and leaning his elbows on the counter across from her.</p><p>A thought occurred to her, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “Wait, how do <em>you</em> know how I take it?”</p><p>“I didn’t. I made it ‘ow I like it and then I gave it tae Rocco. Figured yed throw it at him if it was wrong.”</p><p>“Probably would have.”</p><p>Jess debated if she should ask what him and Lucas were talking about. On the one hand she was desperate to know. On the other, she didn’t really want to pry. Yeah, Bobby probably wouldn’t tell her anyway. Plus, she had more important things she wanted to say. She needed to tell him how much last night meant to her. She hadn’t realised how nice it would feel to have someone in her corner. She struggled to find the right words for a few minutes, while he watched her, an amused expression on his face.</p><p>Why was he so infuriating? Why did she like it so much? Fuck.</p><p>“I um, I just wanted… to, uh, say thanks, for, uh…” she shifted uncomfortably. <em>Shit.</em></p><p>Bobby smiled slowly and reached a hand out to cover hers and gave it a little squeeze before picking his cup back up, “I knae. Yeh dinnae have to say it Lass.”</p><p>Jess nodded slowly, then took a deep breath, <em>okay, round two</em>, “Right. But I want to. I… really appreciate you. You’re amazing.”</p><p>“Aye, that I am,” he said smugly.</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him, then watched him for a moment over her cup, “So… are you happy I put you with Priya?”</p><p>“She’s a great girl, but I dinnae about more that that.”</p><p>“I think she likes you Bobby,” she told him quietly. Honestly, it would be nice to see him happy.</p><p>“What’s nae to like?”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. Hard. <em>God he's full of himself today.</em></p><p>“Do you actually want me to start listing your flaws McKenzie?”</p><p>“Would nae be a very long list.”</p><p>“It’s a suuuuppppeeerrrr long list,” she said dramatically, “Actually, it would take me less time to tell you the things I like about you!”</p><p>“In that case, tell me all the things yeh like about me,” he wiggled his eyebrows.</p><p>Jess groaned, “Fuck, I set you up for that one.”</p><p>Bobby laughed loudly, giving her a smug look. <em>Damn it.</em></p><p>Still sulking a little, she glared at him, “Back to Priya.”</p><p>“Lass, I dinnae want to talk about -”</p><p>She threw a hand to her chest and gasped, cutting him off, “Bobby! We’re best friends, you <em>have</em> to talk about it with me!”</p><p>“Oh sorry, I dinnae realise it was in the contract.”</p><p>“It is,” she narrowed her eyes at him for a few seconds before sighing, “All I’m saying is you could try.”</p><p>He let out a frustrated grunt, walking over to rinse their cups out, “Ok ok, I’m going tae give it a shot. Happy?”</p><p>“Yes!” she said excitedly, “I really want you to find someone.”</p><p>“Mhmmm,” was all he said, but Jess was taking the win.</p><p>She danced a little victory dance as she made her way to the Villa, walking and dancing backwards while he pulled faces at her, right until he was out of her line of sight.</p><p>She was so busy, giggling to herself about Bobby that she had forgotten the hell that awaited her inside the Villa.</p><p>Opening the door, she found Gary, Noah and Ibrahim milling around the bedroom, all three of them going silent as she walked in. Christ. She just wanted to move past this drama.</p><p>Ibrahim cleared his throat, “Ah, Jess?”</p><p>She gave him a small smile in response. They had kind of cleared the air through Chinese whispers with the producers yesterday, but they hadn’t talked face to face yet. </p><p>He shuffled around on his feet, looking awkward, “Listen, I’m really sorry. You know… about…” he trailed off and she carried on staring at him, not saying anything, “I um, told Jo but she… well, she’s convinced and… well, I just want to say that I’m really sorry,” he finished, his voice breaking.</p><p>
  <em>Ah, shit Ibrahim, chill the fuck out.</em>
</p><p>Walking over, she pulled him in for a short hug, “We’re all good,” she whispered, while the other two boys breathed sighs of relief; they’d probably expected a screaming match.</p><p>
  <em>Why did everyone here think she was a ticking time bomb?</em>
</p><p>Pulling back, she gave him a meaningful look, “You need to talk to Bee though.”</p><p>“Yeah, I will.”</p><p>Gary chuckled, “Who'd have thought he’d go all Scottish terminator?”</p><p>Jess couldn’t help but let out a little giggle, and joke, “Hulk vibes. No one make him angry.”</p><p>“I think he’s just protective,” Noah said thoughtfully.</p><p>Gary smirked at Jess, “Yeah, of you.”</p><p>“Pfft, I don’t need protecting,” she lied through her fucking teeth. Last night proved that, and it had kind of taken the wind out of her sails if she were being honest.</p><p>Ibrahim hummed for a moment, before saying, “He <em>was</em> pretty scary.”</p><p>Gary laughed and clapped Rahim on the back, “He 100% could have taken you, mate.”</p><p>“No way!” Rahim protested.</p><p>Jess shook her head, heading for the stairs and leaving them to argue about who could fight who. Boys. She should go find a tape measure for them so they can all just compare their dicks and get it over with.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All the boys were standing around the kitchen, having a chat about a new game Henrik and Ibrahim had come up with, Adventure Golf. Or, something like that anyway. Sounded fun. Most of them were seated on bar stools and Bobby and Gary were standing at the counter, while they talked logistics of making it happen in the Villa.</p><p>Unfortunately, their strategy session was interrupted with a loud slamming of the door, followed by Hope, Hannah and Jo, storming out of the Villa, talking loudly and angrily; their voices carrying across the Villa. As the boys collectively groaned and exchanged pained glances, Bobby had never been more grateful that they were heading across the lawn and not towards them.</p><p>He'd be even <em>more</em> grateful if they weren't yelling so loud that they could all hear.</p><p>In any case, Bobby didn't really need much context for this one; it was clear they’d had it out in the dressing room with Jess and, knowing her, she’d probably chewed them up and spat them out.</p><p>“ – such a slut! Like we don’t see her flirting with every guy in here,” Jo was furiously spitting out as she walked.</p><p>Hannah nodded, “All the time! Jess just needs to make herself feel better because she’s not even <em>close</em> to being the hottest girl here! I can’t believe she said you were playing a game!”</p><p><em>Uh, Jess is 100% the hottest girl here, Hannah.</em> If he were being honest, she was the hottest girl he’s ever seen.</p><p>Hope laughed, and, clearly trying to stir the pot more, said, “Well <em>pacifically</em>, she said, ‘You’re trying to play chess, while everyone else is standing around wondering who the fuck you’re playing against’.”</p><p>Noah shifted in his seat and look down, his eyebrows knotted, seemingly annoyed by his partners love of drama.</p><p>“Ugh! Can you believe her!” Jo screamed, taking the bait.</p><p>Hope laughed again, “Actually, that <em>was</em> pretty funny.”</p><p>Jo stopped walking and turned to glare at Hope, who just kept laughing.</p><p>Hannah piped up, confused, “I didn’t get why it was funny.”</p><p>This made Hope laugh harder, saying through gasping breaths while she clutched her sides, “Oh gosh Han, come on! Then she was like, ‘No one wants to play with you. Maybe that’s why you’re so wound up; sexual tension. Here’s an idea, why don’t you go fuck yourself’.”</p><p>Bobby had to press his lips together to stop a chuckle. He was pretty sure Hope was butchering Jess’s delivery and it was a shame; the <em>way</em> she said things was just as funny as what she said. And fuck, Jess said the most clever things sometimes. Bobby absolutely loved that she would draw out the punch line of her insult, almost making a game of how elaborate she can get. She had the most creative insults he’d ever heard. And that was saying something; he lived in Glasgow.</p><p>Jo growled in frustration, “It’s not funny Hope! She was so fucking rude! I’m sick of how everyone thinks she’s this perfect angel! ‘Jess is so nice, Jess is so kind, Jess this, Jess that’.”</p><p>“She’s not!” Hannah huffed.</p><p>“My boyfriend. <em>Boyfriend</em>. Like he’d ever be interested in <em>her</em>. She’s just a dumb bitch in cheap clothes who craves attention,” Jo carried on ranting.</p><p>Bobby caught eyes with Lucas, who actually let out a laugh at the absurdity of what the girls were saying. He might have found Jo’s delusional rants funny too if he wasn’t fucking <em>fuming</em> that they were talking about her like that. Jo had officially taken it too far.</p><p>He stood up from where he was leaning on the counter, ready to tell them to shut the fuck up, but Gary put his hand firmly on his shoulder holding him back.</p><p>“Don’t mate,” he warned.</p><p>“Nae, fuck <em>that</em>. They cannae talk about her like that,” Bobby said, shrugging Gary’s arm off.</p><p>“Jess wouldn’t want you to. Besides, Jo is being irrational, she’s just upset because Jess can talk circles around her.”</p><p>Ibrahim coughed but didn’t say anything. <em>Prick.</em></p><p>Bobby flashed his eyes at the lad, pointing to Jo, “Yeh need tae rein her in mate.”</p><p>Ibrahim nodded and stalked off to drag Jo off for a private chat, leaving Hope cackling still and Hannah storming off to the loungers, yelling at Henrik to join her.</p><p>“Guess that’s my cue,” Henrik sighed as he pushed off the counter and walked over to Hannah. <em>Oof, hate to be that guy.</em></p><p>Once it had quietened down again Lucas let out another laugh and said, “I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.”</p><p>Bobby glared at him, still feeling a little worked up.</p><p>Gary chuckled lightly, bumping Bobby with his shoulder as a signal to ease up, “It was probably just Jo spouting off nonsense and Jess rolling her eyes a lot to be fair.”</p><p>Lucas hummed, “I love it when she gets feisty.”</p><p>Hope had walked over to join them, slipping her arm around Noah, who still looked a bit annoyed, “Are you guys talking about Jess?” she said laughingly, “Honestly, she was raining terror down on those girls. You gotta hand it to the girl, she can hold her own.”</p><p>Bobby wasn’t one to pry but his curiosity got the better of him, “What did Jo say?”</p><p>Hope shrugged, “I don't remember exactly; she talks <em>a lot</em>. I think she said something to Priya, and Jess just lost her shit. It was funny.”</p><p>Right. That made sense, Jess often didn’t care what people said about <em>her</em>, but she couldn’t stand other people being hurt.</p><p>The Villa door swung open and Jess, Lottie and Priya came out. He wasn't sure what he expected but he was surprised to see Jess was smiling away, chatting and laughing with the other girls like she didn’t have a care in the world.</p><p>And <em>god</em>, did she look fucking hot. She was wearing a black one piece that was both high cut in the bottom and low cut at the top. It had a thick silver belt around her waist that looked like it was the only thing stopping the material from floating off and exposing her to them all. Bobby tried not to actually drool. He hadn’t ever seen her wear black before and he was a <em>fan</em>.</p><p>On Lottie, black was sexy in a way that played into her witchy theme, whereas on Jess, it looked sexy in a <em>‘maybe you’ll get a promotion if you fuck me against my desk’</em> kind of way. Ok, maybe that was just the fantasy that was playing in Bobby’s head right now. Still true though.</p><p>As they approached, he slid his gaze from Jess to Priya. He was coupled up with <em>her</em>, not Jess.</p><p>
  <em>Stop looking at Jess you moron.</em>
</p><p>As they reached them in the kitchen, Jess gave Lucas a quick peck on the cheek before walking around the counter and rifling through the cupboards behind Bobby, while Priya and Lottie took a seat on the bar stools.</p><p>Bobby tuned out to the conversation as Lottie started talking about star signs and analysing Hope and Noah’s signs. Something about Capricorns and Cancers. <em>Blah blah. </em>And instead, he watch Jess as she took up a place next to him and started slicing up a lemon into rounds.</p><p>Leaning closer, he whispered, “Do you subscribe to this?” nodding his head back towards Lottie.</p><p>Jess let out a small, amused huff and eyed him out of the corner of her eye, but before she could say anything Lottie demanded his attention, “Bobby!”</p><p>“Yeah Loz?”</p><p>“I asked you what your star sign was,” she clipped at him.</p><p>“Gemini I think.”</p><p>Lottie smirked at him, “Actually, that makes sense. I probably could have guessed that.”</p><p>“Whatever yeh say,” he rolled his eyes.</p><p>Jess leaned her hip against the counter, opening the lid of her water bottle and putting some of the lemon slices in it as she eyed him, “It’s because you never sit still,” she nodded at where he was tapping his hands idly on the counter.</p><p>Bobby stilled his hands, “Neither do yeh.”</p><p>“Maybe I’m also a Gemini?”</p><p>He narrowed his eyes at her, “Are yeh?”</p><p>Suddenly he desperately wanted to know when her birthday was. Because he liked birthdays in general. It wasn't specifically about her. At all.</p><p>“Nope,” she said cheerfully, leaning over and grabbing his water bottle, putting the remaining lemon slices in, and setting it back on the counter with a wink.</p><p>Lottie darted her eyes back and forth between them and said, “You two would actually be very compatible you know.”</p><p>Jess huffed and opened her mouth, but Lucas interrupted, “Star signs are bullshit,” he told Lottie, leaving Jess to just shrug and walk to the fridge, pulling out an ice tray.</p><p>Lottie glared at Lucas, “That’s such a Capricorn thing to say.”</p><p>“I’m not a Capricorn.”</p><p>Jess had walked back and was now putting ice cubes from a tray in her water bottle, “He’s an Aries.”</p><p>She looked at Bobby and raised her eyebrows, lifting the ice tray in question. He nodded; obviously he wanted ice.</p><p>Lottie cackled, “Of course! Overbearing, insecure, and reckless!”</p><p>Jess frowned, shooting an angry stare at Lottie and holding a hand up to Lucas to stop whatever he was going to say, “Cut it out Charlotte. You wouldn't want me to start talking about your worst qualities would you?”</p><p>“Do it Jess!” Hope egged her on, looking excited for more drama.</p><p>Noah shook his head in disappointment and Bobby felt a tiny bit bad for the guy.</p><p>Gary looked taken aback, “Wait, your name is Charlotte?”</p><p>Both the girls ignored everyone else as they stared each other down across the counter. Jess, shoulders squared back and raised an eyebrow smugly, Lottie giving her a death glare. Bobby was like 99% sure they were joking, but that 1% was kind of freaking him out.</p><p>After a few tense moments, Lottie smirked, “You’re dick whipped.”</p><p>“Not yet,” Jess said with a wink.</p><p>“Yet huh?” Lucas drawled smugly from across the counter.</p><p>Jess threw her head back in laughter, “If you play your cards right.”</p><p>Lucas chuckled and sent her a wink, which caused Jess to let out a soft, flirty giggle. It looked like actual flirting, rather than banter, and Bobby couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. Though not entirely sure why.</p><p>Screwing the lids back on their water bottles, Jess handed Bobby’s his and he took a sip. <em>Fuck. Who knew this was a thing? So fucking good.</em></p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Jess’s face lit up at the sound, “I hope it’s a challenge!”</p><p>The others groaned and Gary pulled out his phone, shooting a smirk towards Jess, “Your wish has come true.”</p><p>Jess smiled innocently, leaning over the counter, now inches away from Bobby, so she could lock eyes with Gary on the other side of him. She shifted position slightly, so her tits were pushed up on the counter, making all the boys in the room immediately glance down. When Bobby looked back up Jess was smirking knowingly at Gary as she drawled in a low, sultry voice, “Not yet Gaz.”</p><p>Gary coughed and shifted on his feet. Noah averted his gaze quickly while he blushed. Lucas's jaw twitched in annoyance. And Bobby howled with laughter. But not because he was hiding the fact that he was a little turned on. </p><p>
  <em>Fuck, ok maybe a little.</em>
</p><p>He just couldn't help it. She was so fucking confident and it was the sexiest thing ever.</p><p>
  <em>God, you're an idiot.</em>
</p><p>Jess laughed as she straightened up, throwing Gary a wink, “Too easy Gaz.”</p><p>Lottie smirked, clearly finding it funny too, “Just read the text Gary.”</p><p>Gary cleared his throat, “Oh right. Islanders, please make your way to the challenge area #familymatters #friendlyopinons.”</p><p>
  <em>Oh shit. Am I going to hear something from my family? </em>
</p><p>He fucking hoped so.</p><p>As they walked across the lawn, and yelled out for the others, Jess started a play fight with Lottie about wanting a piggyback ride and ended up chasing her across the lawn while Lottie screamed at her to fuck off. Both of them laughing and mucking around while everyone else chatted about the challenge.</p><p>Catching up to him, Priya linked an arm through his and he smiled at her before taking another sip of his water.</p><p>Priya regarded him thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded at his water bottle and said, “That was very cute.”</p><p>“Wha’ was?” he asked.</p><p>“How Jess made you lemon water without even asking.”</p><p>“Are yeh jealous?” Bobby teased.</p><p>“No, but there are other people in the Villa you know.”</p><p>“Aye, I know,” he said cautiously, a little confused what she was talking about.</p><p>
  <em>Did she want Jess to make her lemon water too? I guess I could make her some...</em>
</p><p>“But... you only like her?” she asked him, studying his face.</p><p>“Hold up Pri,” Bobby stopped walking, “I dinnae like her like <em>that</em>.”</p><p>Priya gave Bobby a skeptical look and walked off towards the challenge area, calling back, “Whatever you say Bobby.”</p><p>Huffing, kind of annoyed now, he walked into the challenge area, where, embarrassingly enough, his annoyance faded pretty quickly. Jess had her arms around Lottie, who was still pretending to be pissed off, and Henrik was laughing while he filmed Jess professing her undying love and pinching Lottie’s cheeks. Bobby just couldn't stop himself from smiling as he watched them. Lottie really seemed to come out of her demon shell around Jess, happiness was a good look for her.</p><p>The challenge area was set up with a banner that said, <em>'Family Matters'</em>. There were a ton of buckets filled with water and a giant empty easel that had a stack of large boards on the ground next to it.</p><p>One of the producers signalled for them to get ready so they all stood in a line, facing the easel, in their couples. Priya was on the far side so Bobby took his place next to her, with Jess standing on the other side of him with Lucas.</p><p>He wasn't sure how he always managed to stand next to Jess during challenges, but he wasn't complaining about it. She was fun.</p><p>Hannah read out the rules, “Islanders, we have been talking to your friends and family about your journey so far on Love Island. In today’s challenge, you will be tasked with figuring out who’s names have been blanked out. On your turn, pick up a card and reveal your choice for each blanked out name by dumping a bucket of water onto that Islander. You can then reveal the answer. Choose carefully, cocktails for the Villa is on the line #letsgetwet #whosaidthat.”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>“Yus!” Jess jumped up, waving her phone, “I’m first bitches.”</p><p>Skipping over, she grabbed the first card, placing it on the easel and revealing:</p><p>
  <strong>_______ nan says, ‘Of all the girls in the Villa, I want him to bring home ______. She will be good for him and I’d definitely make her my famous Sunday Roast.’</strong>
</p><p>“Oh, I wonder who that could be,” she smirked.</p><p>Gary huffed, “That’s so not fair!”</p><p>Jess laughed as she brought a bucket over to Gary, and dumped it on him, then hopped back to reveal: <em>Gary</em>.</p><p>“Wow, wha’ a shocker!” Bobby joked.</p><p>Grabbing another bucket, Jess announced, “Well, I know who <em>I</em> want Gaz to bring home!” before tossing the water at Lottie, who turned so it didn’t ruin her makeup.</p><p>Lottie tried to look angry about it, but Bobby could tell she was secretly happy that maybe Gary’s nan might like her.</p><p>However, that small smirk dropped quickly from her face as Jess ripped the tape off the second name and revealed: <em>Jess</em>.</p><p>Everyone was quiet but Jess turned around, her nose scrunched up, “Ew, no.”</p><p>“Who else isn’t surprised she’s after someone else’s man?” Jo sneered.</p><p>Ignoring her completely, Jess ran dramatically towards Gary yelling, “Gaaarrryyy!!! Love of my life! Take me home to your nan!!!”</p><p>Gary howled with laughter and attempted to run away from her, “Fuck off Jess!”</p><p>Everyone burst into laughter as Jess chased him, asking him why he didn’t love her. Even Lottie seemed to let it go a little and joined in the laughter.</p><p>Jess eventually managed to trip Gary up, despite wearing ridiculously strappy heels, and he went tumbling onto the floor, still laughing. When everyone had calmed down, she helped him to his feet and winked at Lottie as she took her place back in the line.</p><p>Jo announced that she was up next and walked over to reveal the next card:</p><p>
  <strong>_______ friend says, ‘He only wants to see _______ naked and covered in chocolate! He doesn't care about her, how can he? They have nothing in common.’</strong>
</p><p>Jo laughed maliciously, “Well, I guess I have to choose the couple who I think have the least in common. This is easy.”</p><p>Giving Lucas an apologetic smile, she purred at him, “Sorry to do this to you babe,” then very nicely poured the water down his front, most of it landing on the stage instead.</p><p>Bobby rolled his eyes. <em>Why don't you just kiss his ass while you're at it?</em></p><p>After revealing the first answer to be correct, she gave Jess a huge shit-eating grin as she picked up another bucket, walked over and whispered, “This is for trying to take my man.”</p><p>To her credit, Jess didn’t even flinch when Jo threw the water straight into her face, just stood there, blank expression on her face. Then, as she wiped the water from her eyes, she plastered a bright smile on, as though everything was great. </p><p>She couldn't fool him though; he could see it in her eyes; she hoped it wasn’t true.</p><p>As Jo revealed the answer to be right, Jess winced, her façade of indifference dropping for a split second.</p><p>
  <em>Ouch.</em>
</p><p>Putting a hand on the small of her back, Lucas whispered something to her that Bobby couldn’t hear.</p><p>Jess let out a small laugh, “It’s cool babe, I like chocolate, we’ll see about the naked thing.”</p><p>Just as quickly as it dropped, she put it back up. Not for the first time, Bobby could literally see Jess erecting a giant wall around her heart. Convincing herself that feeling anything wasn’t worth it. That falling in love was a fool’s errand.</p><p>Lucas was smiling smugly as they both watched the next round and Bobby honestly didn't understand why. Could he not see it? Was he blind or was he just blind to Jess?</p><p>Lucas might be able to get Jess into bed, but what kind of prize was that when he had the opportunity to have her love too? Almost out of instinct, Bobby found himself thinking that if he had a chance with Jess, he would never settle for just her body. He’d want it all. Wait.</p><p>No, he didn’t even want the chance. What the fuck was he thinking?</p><p>Thankfully, he was pulled out of his internal backtracking by his phone going off.</p><p>“Guess I’m next,” he announced, walking over to reveal the card:</p><p>
  <strong>_______ sister says, ‘She is an absolute tit who needs to get her head out of her ass and couple with ______. She could so easily fall in love with him. Maybe she already is.’</strong>
</p><p>“Jesus. OK,” he chuckled, “So who here has a sister who would have nae problem talking shit about them… someone who does nae get along with her sister…” he walked up the line, trying to get clues from the girls’ stances or eyes.</p><p>“… or someone who gets on with them really well…” his eyes roamed over Jess who was avoiding eye contact and had a small smirk on her lips. <em>Bingo.</em></p><p>Without warning he threw the water at her, dumping it all over her.</p><p>Having not expecting it, she gasped as the water hit her, but, always the good sport, she giggled and playfully muttered, “You shit.”</p><p>Bobby grinned at her before turning back to the stand, ripping off the sticker to reveal: <em>Jess.</em></p><p>He looked back at everyone triumphantly and Jess rolled her eyes, “<em>She’s</em> the tit!”</p><p>Ok. Right. Who the fuck could her sister think she was in love with? Ibrahim is off the list. Maybe Noah, but he hadn’t seen them chatting much... That really only left one guy. Highly unlikely, but still possible.</p><p>“Right,” he said loudly, “It can’t be Lucas… or Henrik; they ‘ave been coupled up,” he slowly walked down the line and stopped at Gary, shrugging, “Yeh two have great banter.”</p><p>Gary snorted, “Sure mate, <em>me</em> and Jess.”</p><p>Bobby threw the water straight at his face, leaving him sputtering then walked back and ripped off the sticker: <em>Bobby</em>.</p><p>He stood there for a moment, shocked; he hadn’t even considered himself.</p><p>Feeling awkward as fuck for some reason, he turned around, stupid expression on his face, “Er…”</p><p>Jess let out a giggle and sent Bobby an amused look as she said, “Jesus Christ, can you imagine? Our ship name would be Jobby!”</p><p>Lottie started laughing, “Oh shit that’s good! He could be like ‘babe, give me a hand Jobby’!”</p><p>Jess howled with laughter, “Wait wait, imagine Gary and Bobby together. They’d be Gobby!”</p><p>“In more ways than one!” Lottie added, wiping tears from her eyes and taking deep breaths to try and calm down.</p><p>Bobby let out a small awkward laugh, still not entirley sure how he felt about all this.</p><p>As he caught Lucas’s eye, he rolled his eyes and angrily said, “Surely you aren’t <em>actually</em> surprised right? You two spend like every second together.”</p><p>“Lucas…” Jess started.</p><p>Hope cut her off, “Sorry Bobby, no one is surprised by this.”</p><p>Noah looked at Hope, “I mean, I am. They’re clearly just friends.”</p><p>Hannah huffed in amusement, “Friends who bone.”</p><p>Jess snorted at the ridiculousness of the accusation, catching his eye and pulling a face, not bothering to respond at all.</p><p>“Nothing to say Jess? Is that because it’s true?” Lucas asked in a hardened tone which made Jess snap her eyes to him, confusion and hurt written all over her face.</p><p>
  <em>Excuse me? Where does he get off.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nah, fuck that.</em>
</p><p>Bobby opened his mouth to say something to the tosser, but Hannah got there first.</p><p>“I wouldn’t put it past you, you keep most of the boys in here on a string.”</p><p>Jo laughed, “And it’s not like you haven’t kissed someone you aren’t coupled up with before.”</p><p>Jess gave Lucas and the girls a sarcastic smile, “Men and women can be <em>just</em> friends. I know that might blow your minds, and I’d explain it to you but, well, I have neither the time, nor the crayons,” she shrugged and pouted at them as if to say <em>‘sorry’</em> and the others all laughed under their breaths.</p><p>“Anyway!” Jess said cheerfully, “I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m having fun, so let’s get back to the game!”</p><p>Priya laughed loudly, “Great call Jess! I’m next!”</p><p>Grateful Priya was moving the game along, Bobby walked back to the group, still a little confused, and <em>very</em> pissed off, and took his place next to Jess.</p><p>“There’s no need for the attitude Jess,” Lucas whispered to her.</p><p>
  <em>Yeah there fucking is.</em>
</p><p>Jess let out a small huff of amusement, not bothering to respond. Which was great, because Bobby sure as fuck had something to say about it.</p><p>Catching his eye, Bobby smirked, mostly to piss him off more, “Mate, even <em>I</em> can see yer fucking things up right now. If being an asshole and insulting women is how yeh sweep them off their feet, I’m nae surprised yer still single.”</p><p>Jess snorted quietly, making Lucas direct his glare towards her.</p><p>Noticing him, she shrugged, “What? It was funny. And true. At least be self-aware Lucas.”</p><p>For his part, Lucas at least seemed to recognise Jess was annoyed about this and looked contrite. <em>Finally.</em></p><p>However, as he opened his mouth, presumably to apologise, he was cut short by Priya throwing a bucket of water into his face out of nowhere. Lucas coughed and spluttered while everyone howled with laughter at the fact that he got caught off guard and was clearly pissed about it. Jess turned her head towards the Villa, pressing her lips together hard as she tried not to laugh.</p><p>Bobby didn’t give a fuck about hiding his amusement; he laughed his face off. The dickhead deserved that one.</p><p>Lucas glowered at Priya, “What the fuck!”</p><p>Priya gave him a fake smile and said, “Oops!” before cheerfully running over to reveal the answer to be: <em>Hope</em>. The tweet was something about Noah's friend not thinking Hope was ‘it’.</p><p>Lucas scowled, “You did that on purpose! It was obviously not me!”</p><p>Priya slapped herself on the forehead, “Oh my gosh! I’m soooo stupid! Hopefully Jess finds some crayons soon,” she finished, throwing a dramatic pout at him.</p><p>Jess made a fucking adorable squeak as her hand flew to her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Meanwhile most of the rest of them all cracked up. Including Bobby. Because Lucas was an prick and deserved it. He only wish he'd had the chance to do it himself.</p><p>The game descended into anarchy for a little bit while Hope moaned about the message. Bobby wasn't really interested in paying attention; he didn't understand why Hope had to always make it such a big thing. Plus, Noah was clearly very annoyed with Hope today, after her trying to push drama earlier. Bobby just kind of felt sorry for the guy. It was awkward as fuck.</p><p>Eventually Lottie called an end to the argument and walked up to reveal her card:</p><p>
  <strong>_______ brother says, ‘He’s made some mistakes in the Villa, but committing to ___ has been the biggest.’</strong>
</p><p>Lottie laughed loudly, grabbed two buckets and walked over to Ibrahim and Jo, dumping one on each other them, not even bothering to reveal the answer in between.</p><p>She practically skipped over to the board to reveal the answer. Which was, obviously, correct. Everyone laughed, while Jo stammered about, yelling some bullshit and things once again descended into chaos until Ibrahim yelled at her to shut up.</p><p>Henrik was up next, pulling out a card:</p><p>
  <strong>_______ mum says, ‘______ is such a lovely person. I’m telling you now; she’s the one. You can tell from the way they look at each other.’</strong>
</p><p>Henrik looked around, grabbing a bucket and shrugging as he tipped it over himself, before turning to reveal: <em>Bobby</em>.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck yes!</em>
</p><p>Laughing, he put his hands over his heart, “Awww... Me ma’s madder than a hatter!”</p><p>“You know she’s going to see you say this on telly right?” Lottie asked him.</p><p>He winked at her, “Aye, she’ll love it.”</p><p>Briefly he caught eyes with Jess, who was looking at him amused, so he threw her a wink too, because he was in such a great mood, and bounced up and down on his feet. He was pumped to hear what his ma thought.</p><p>Henrik had grabbed another bucket and was now standing in front of Jess.</p><p>
  <em>Nah, no fucking way it's Jess, mate.</em>
</p><p>Jess smirked at him, “Enjoy this Hen, it’s the only way you’ll ever get me wet.”</p><p>The swede howled with laughter and put one hand on her shoulder to balance himself while Jess giggled at her own joke. Some of the others joined in too. Well, not Hannah. She looked like she’d stepped in dog shit.</p><p>“Yeh been waiting this whole game tae pull that out eh Jess?” Bobby teased her.</p><p>She shot him a self-satisfied look.</p><p>Henrik stopped laughing and affectionately smiled at her before dumping the bucket over her head. Jess giggled, wiping the water from her hair and face as they all watched Henrik reveal the answer: <em>Jess</em>.</p><p><em>Oh shit.</em> Suddenly, his previously lighthearted mood died. That <em>can't</em> be right. That can't be what his ma actually thought.</p><p>“Fucking perfect, both your families want you to get together,” Lucas whispered to Jess angrily.</p><p>Jess shrugged like she didn’t give a fuck.</p><p>“Well,” Bobby said loudly, needing to ease the tension in the air, or maybe just the tension he felt, “My ma must be off her meds because Jess is <em>nae</em> a lovely person!”</p><p>Some of the Islanders laughed, but Bobby was watching Jess as she smiled at him for a moment, then pulled a face. How she managed to look so fucking adorable even with her tongue out and eyes crossed, he’d never know.</p><p>Bobby got lost in his own thoughts for the next few rounds. Why did it suddenly feel like everyone thought him and Jess liked each other? Because they were friends? He didn’t get it. He didn’t like her, no way. He was attracted to her, yes, but he was attracted to a lot of girls. Attraction didn’t mean anything. Ok, so she was so gorgeous it took his breath away. But he wasn’t the only one she affected like that though. Most of the guys here thought it too. Why was he being singled out?</p><p>Bobby was unceremoniously brought out of his pensive thoughts by a bucket of water being tipped over him. Jumping back from shock and clearing his eyes, he saw Hope laughing at him.</p><p>His eyes shot to the board, which read:</p><p>
  <strong>Hannah’s friend says, ‘How cute would it be if she got with _______. Cutest couple in the Villa. If only he wasn't so stupid.’</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. Fuck no.</em>
</p><p>He didn't even care that this person, and Hope, had called him stupid, just that they'd implied he should get with Hannah. Absolutely not.</p><p>Hope walked over to reveal the answer to be correct and Hannah let out an, “Awww... so cute Bobby!”</p><p>
  <em>Fuck my life.</em>
</p><p>Jess muttered under her breath, “What is this? Shit all over Jess &amp; Bobby Day?”</p><p>Overhearing, because Jess couldn't whisper to save herself, Hannah glared, “What are you implying Jess?”</p><p>“Just that we’ve been picked on a lot today,” she said with a shrug.</p><p>Hannah narrowed her eyes and snarkily said, “It’s kind of your fault!”</p><p>Jess took a step forward, put her hand to her chest and mockingly gasped, “Are you victim blaming?” then dropped the act, pulling her face into a <em>very</em> sarcastic smirk, “Oh wait, I’m not actually shocked by that at all.”</p><p>All the Islanders went silent and instinctively, Bobby reached his hand out and grabbed Jess’s arm, pulling her gently back into the line. She shook his arm off, huffing, but didn’t say anything else.</p><p>Henrik announced that was the end of the game and Jess spun on her heel and walked off, not waiting for anyone. A little concerned where this sudden anger had come from, Bobby ran after her, putting his hand on her shoulder gently to slow her down.</p><p>She stepped out of his reach and said, “Don’t”, not even bothering to look at him as she kept walking.</p><p>“Trouble in paradise?” Lucas growled sarcastically as he passed Bobby, jogging to catch up to Jess.</p><p>Bobby was just about to storm after Lucas when Lottie grabbed his arm, “Trust me, I want to see you kick his ass too, but it’s not worth it.”</p><p>
  <em>That's where she was wrong. It would be so fucking worth it.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess felt tension in her shoulders as she let Lucas drag her into the lounge.</p><p>That <em>stupid</em> game was absolute <em>bullshit!</em> It felt like it had been specifically designed so everyone could take jabs at her. And Bobby. Which was the part that really pissed her off. </p><p>
  <em>Ugh. Hannah's friend is stupid.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The whole game was stupid.</em>
</p><p>Yeah, she was being grumpy for no real reason. She just wanted to stomp her feet for a bit, okay?</p><p>But today, she wasn't given that luxury because Lucas had told her that they needed to talk, and apparently that had meant <em>right now. </em></p><p>She wasn't dumb; she knew what it was about. Because if the game had affected anyone the most; it was Lucas.</p><p>Jess almost didn’t see his insecurities when she first met him; blinded by his eyes and charming personality. He was so smug and confident a lot of the time, she just didn't understand where this was coming from. But perhaps this was just what the Villa did to you – made you second guess, doubt, feel jealous.</p><p>But what if that was just the way he is? Could she handle that? Probably not long term. Then again, it’s not as if they’d stay in the Villa forever right? And on the outside, it’s not though if her life afforded her all that many opportunities to flirt, at least not to this scale. Maybe it would be ok?</p><p>Despite knowing what was coming, she still felt shock when he spat at her, “What is going on with you and Bobby?”</p><p>“Nothing,” she sighed.</p><p>“Nothing?” he laughed incredulously and started pacing around the room while Jess sat down on the couch. She was suddenly <em>exhausted,</em> and getting more so as she listened to him continue his angry rant. </p><p>“Really? Because you hang out with him all the time Jess! You two spend very fucking second together. And I noticed <em>that!</em> I never noticed you hanging out with Ibrahim, but you still kissed him, so now I'm wondering if you and Bobby are doing more than that behind my back. It seems entirely possible that you could be hooking up with everyone in the Villa! And clearly <em>something</em> must be going on, otherwise why would <em>both</em> your families talk about it?”</p><p>
  <em>Jesus Christ.</em>
</p><p>Taking a breath, Jess spoke calmly, “Lucas, nothing is going on. With Bobby, or with anyone else. They can edit the footage however they want, but it doesn't make it any less true.”</p><p>“How am I meant to believe that?”</p><p>“Why do you not believe me?” she asked, dumbfounded.</p><p>Lucas stopped pacing and stared at her, “Do you have feelings for him?”</p><p>“If I wanted to be with him, I could have, but I chose you.”</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck is happening right now? </em>
</p><p>“Yeah, that was before you found out everyone out there is rooting for you two to get together! Everyone Jess!” his voice was getting louder and louder and it was fuelling the fire inside of her.</p><p>“So what? Does it not matter how I feel? I want to be with you!”</p><p>Lucas laughed, a full belly laugh, before smiling darkly and saying, “I don’t believe you.”</p><p>
  <em>Oh fuck no. </em>
</p><p>She was not going to stand here and listen to this asshole call her a liar one more fucking time. Spinning on her heel, she stormed out, ignoring Lucas as he called out after her. In fact, she ignored everyone. Throwing her mic pack to the ground, not giving a fuck anymore, she dived headfirst into the pool.</p><p>Underwater no one could talk to her. No one could throw insults at her. No one could call her a liar. No one could accuse her of shit she’d never do. She was alone. No one could touch her. <em>God</em>, she hated this place.</p><p>Letting herself sink to the bottom, feeling the cool water wash over her, she held her breath for as long as she could, until her lungs burnt. Slowly, she raised back to the surface, gasping for air and as she did, she locked eyes with Lottie who stood on the side of the pool, a question in her eyes. Nope. Jess was not in the mood to talk.</p><p>Instead, she started swimming. Back and forth, effortlessly doing laps in the pool to calm her mind. She had always loved to swim. When she was younger, she would stay after school most days, swimming laps to clear her angst-filled teenage mind. That’s how she’d met <em>him</em>. He usually booked out her school pool to train, and one day she hadn’t been paying attention to the time and he’d walked in. She was 16 and he was 18, in university on an athletic scholarship, and charming as all fuck. At first, they were just friends. He’d helped improve her swimming technique, made her laugh, and took her to fun places and parties. She’d intrigued him with her quick wit, encouraged him to challenge himself, and helped him to study and learn new things. During the week, they would swim together for hours, and during the weekends, they’d go on adventures together. Once they’d started dating, they never stopped doing those things. She thought it would last forever. But five years was all she got.</p><p>At this point, she had been swimming for at least a few hours. Her legs and arms ached with every stroke and her usually controlled breathing had turned into gasps every time she lifted her head. She was weak and sore everywhere, but she loved it. Her mind was clear and untroubled. All her anger had left her, and she just felt… free.</p><p>Eventually her arms refused to move anymore, and she conceded she had to stop. Slowing her strokes, she started treading water and was surprised to see the only person outside the Villa was Noah, who was sitting on the coping, legs dangling into the pool.</p><p>When they locked eyes, he smiled at her, “I was wondering if you’d ever stop.”</p><p>Still catching her breath, she swam slowly over to join him, raising her arms up over the side and resting her head on them as her lower half still floated in the pool.</p><p>“My brother wants to be a swimmer,” he said quietly.</p><p>“Yeah?” she glanced up at him to find him smiling down at her.</p><p>“Yeah, I used to spend ages swimming with him. He’s really fast. I reckon he could go all the way with it.”</p><p>“I bet you let him win.”</p><p>Noah laughed, “At first, but now I can’t even get close.”</p><p>“I hope it works out for him, it’s a great career.”</p><p>“Seems like you might be the right girl to give him some tips?”</p><p>“I only swim for me,” she said, shaking out her arms. They still felt heavy and sore.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck, I'm going to look like an idiot getting out of the pool.</em>
</p><p>Noah stayed quiet for a moment before he hesitantly asked the question she was dreading, “Everything OK? With you and Lucas?”</p><p>Jess sighed deeply, not sure if she really wanted to talk about it at all. Sensing this, Noah put his hand on her shoulder, “You don’t have to answer that.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine,” she gave him a smile, “Things aren’t great, but it’s my fault too. I just… I’m dreading talking to him. I don’t want another argument.”</p><p>“I get you, I hate fighting too.”</p><p>“Right?” Jess said dramatically, “And apparently when Lucas is frustrated, he yells and says hurtful things. I just... can’t help but get mad. I <em>hate</em> getting angry.”</p><p>“Yeah, Hope does the same thing to me,” Noah said sadly.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>Noah laughed dryly, “Oh yeah, she bit my head off earlier because I cut her toastie up wrong or something.”</p><p>Jess gasped in horror, “You cut her toastie up wrong? How could you Noah?!”</p><p>Noah let out a proper laugh, “And you, Jess! Your family said you wanted to be with Bobby even though you don’t. I can’t believe you’d do that to Lucas!”</p><p>Jess burst into laughter too and for the first time today, she felt like someone had actually validated her feelings.</p><p>When they’d caught their breaths, Noah sighed, “So, we apparently won cocktails tonight. Everyone is upstairs getting ready. I said I’d come get you.”</p><p>Jess groaned, “Great. I never thought I’d not be excited about cocktails.”</p><p>Swimming to the ladder, she climbed out; her legs felt a little shaky as she stretched and wrapped herself in a towel before walking towards the Villa.</p><p>Suddenly Noah said, “You know, I don’t think it will be as bad as you think, with Lucas.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Yeah, uh, Bobby kind of had a go at him earlier… gave him some harsh truths and I think Lucas actually feels a bit bad...”</p><p>She scrunched up her nose at the thought of Bobby sticking his nose into her business.</p><p>Noah saw her face as he opened the door for them and laughed, “He was just trying to help. I know you don’t need it, but Lucas did,” then suddenly dipped his head and whispered, “Speak of the devil.”</p><p>Looking up, Jess saw Lucas sitting on their bed, legs hanging over the side, looking apologetically at her. <em>Ugh.</em></p><p>Before walking upstairs to get ready, Noah squeezed her arm and gave her an encouraging smile. <em>Double ugh.</em></p><p>Not really wanting to, but figuring she may as well get this over with, she sat down on the bed opposite Lucas, and he leaned forward, his body easily crossing the gap between the two beds and took her hands, “I’m really sorry Jess. I was just angry. Not really at you.”</p><p>“Could have fooled me.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know,” he sighed and when he looked at her, he had a vulnerable look in his eyes, “It’s just, I really like you and I’m afraid to lose you. And then when I hear that your family doesn’t rate me, well… my family is always pressuring me to do things and most of the time I do. It’s why I live where I live, it’s why I’m a physio, it’s why I am who I am. I just, really don’t want you to change your mind”</p><p>“I’m not going to change my mind because of my family, babe.”</p><p>He gave her a hopeful look and squeezed her hands.</p><p>“But, yelling at me might make me change my mind. You hurt me, for something I didn’t do. That’s not fair.”</p><p>He nodded, “It wasn’t. I was out of line, I’m sorry.”</p><p>She didn’t know if it was because she was both physically and emotionally drained in that moment, or because she really liked Lucas, either way, she wanted to forgive and forget.</p><p>None of it mattered to her anymore; she didn't fucking care. This whole place was bullshit anyway. And, she was so fucking <em>tired</em>.</p><p>One thing she knew for sure; she was definitely done with talking.</p><p>So, grabbing Lucas around the neck, she brought him closer and kissed him. Hard. She wasn't fucking around here. Groaning, he moved forward, pushing her backwards onto the bed she was on, and pressing his body into hers. <em>God, yes.</em> Desire shot through her. Fuck, she needed to get laid. And maybe a good old shag would stop her mind from talking so much.</p><p>Plus, makeup sex.</p><p>That's all; that's the whole footnote. She was here for it.</p><p>He kissed her passionately, almost aggressively, fighting for control as he ran his hands desperately over body, pulling open the towel so he could settle in between her thighs. She tugged on his hair roughly, making him groan into her mouth and it made her feel fucking <em>powerful</em>. Her mind went blank as she allowed herself to concentrate on the lust consuming her. </p><p>Suddenly, he grabbed her wrists, pinning them beside her head as he started trailing kisses down her neck, scraping his teeth along her skin. Oh fuck. She couldn't stop herself from letting out loud moan and he chuckled against her neck, shushing her quietly. God knows why, it's not as if they weren't in the middle of the fucking bedroom anyway. It was really hot; knowing they could be caught any second. She didn't think she was that kind of girl, but right now? She was into it.</p><p>Shifting, he released a hand and grabbed her thigh, lifting her so he could grind himself into her. And god, it felt good. She wanted him. She needed him. She pulled his head back to hers, their kiss messy and desperate, all tongues, all burning desire.</p><p>“Oi! Not on my bed!” Gary yelled out from the stairwell.</p><p>
  <em>Damn it Gary!</em>
</p><p>She couldn't stop herself from breaking out into uncontrollable giggles, gasping as she tried to catch her breath.</p><p>“I'm going to kill them all,” Lucas groaned from where he'd buried himself in her neck.</p><p>Still laughing, she quipped, “Then I'll only get to see you during conjugal visits.”</p><p>“I think you have to be married for that,” he muttered sullenly before rolling onto the bed next to her.</p><p>“Marriage of convenience you say? Eh, I'm in.”</p><p>She had no idea why she was suddenly all jokes; she <em>should</em> be frustrated as all fuck. But instead, she actually felt a little better; lighter, airier, freer. The whole thing was just... funny.</p><p>Lucas, apparently, did not find it funny. He just shook his head at her, “Just go get ready before I change my mind and fuck you <em>in front</em> of Gary.”</p><p>
  <em>Right, well that's not something anyone wants to happen.</em>
</p><p>Winking conspiratorially, she jumped to her feet and ran off up the stairs.</p><p>With every step she took up the stairs, she became more and more grateful for Gary’s interruption. She might have actually fucked Lucas.</p><p>In the harsh brightness of the stairwell lights, that notion left a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was, but it almost felt like regret, and it left her feeling cold.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck is wrong with me?</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby had spent most of the night hanging out with Gary and Henrik in the kitchen, making cocktails for everyone. Which was <em>super</em> <em>fun</em> seeing as Gary and Henrik had spend most of the time commiserating about how awful being in a couple with Hannah was, and Bobby had been very busy brooding on his thoughts.</p><p>See, he had helped Lucas earlier in the day. Well, <em>helped</em> was a strong word. He had basically yelled at the guy. Either way, it worked. Lucas and Jess had spent most of the night dancing and laughing together on the lawn. It was then that he had realised that Jess was always going to be coupled up with someone else and that it was likely going to be the end of the fun they had together. He wanted her to be happy, obviously, but it just… well, sucked.</p><p>Right now, he was sitting on the rooftop, having been dragged up there by Lottie, and drinking her horrible tea.</p><p>Apparently, the moon was in the right position and she might be able to get a better reading. He called bullshit and said they weren’t in a couple anymore so she couldn’t make him drink that shit. She’d slapped him over the head.</p><p>So, obviously, he had followed her upstairs, giving the boys the finger as they laughed hysterically.</p><p>“So,” Lottie said as she watched him drink, “What did you think of the challenge?”</p><p>
  <em>Ugh.</em>
</p><p>He’d figured that was likely her real motive for this ‘tea reading’, part of why he was so hesitant to come in the first place.</p><p>“Nothing. It’s just other people’s opinions.”</p><p>“So there’s no truth to it?”</p><p>“Aye, Ibrahim <em>did</em> rush things with Jo,” he chuckled to himself.</p><p>Lottie glared at him, “Don’t play coy with me”</p><p>“I haven’t even started yet, love,” he smirked at her and gulped the last of the tea, handing it to her.</p><p>She took it but didn’t break eye contact, “Do you like her Bobby?”</p><p>“Obviously, we’re friends. I like <em>yeh</em> too,” he said, wiggling her eyebrows at her.</p><p>Her face didn’t change, “Making jokes isn’t going to get you out of giving me a straight answer.”</p><p>“Yer underestimating me Lottie.”</p><p>Lottie swirled the cup and peered into it. After a few moments she hummed, still not looking up from the cup she said, “Do you wish you were the one she was dancing with right now?”</p><p>“I like dancing, so yeah, sounds more fun that this.”</p><p>She growled in her throat and set the cup down on the table, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at him again, “Do. You. Like. Her?”</p><p>Bobby opened his mouth to make another joke but stopped. They both knew she’d continue asking until she got an answer. Problem was, Bobby wasn’t sure what his answer was anymore. He liked her more than he could remember liking any other friend. He was attracted to her. How could he not be; she was hot as fuck. But did he have actual feelings for her? He had no fucking clue anymore. This place messed with his brain. The challenge messed with his brain. Watching her swim for hours today, messed with his brain. He couldn’t think straight. What if he <em>thought</em> he liked her and they messed up their friendship and could never go back?</p><p><em>Fuck.</em> Why was her friendship so important to him? It’s not like he didn’t have other friends. But… she was so fucking special it hurt. His ma’s words swirled around in his head. She can’t be the one. He won’t let her. Honestly, he’d probably fuck it up. She deserved more than him anyway. He just wanted to be her friend. Her platonic friend. Didn’t he? Shit.</p><p>Realising that he’d been silent for a while, he looked at Lottie, finding her waiting patiently for him to say something.</p><p>Feeling stressed and overwhelmed, the words just tumbled out, “I don’t know.”</p><p>Lottie smiled at him, seemingly satisfied with his answer and she gestured towards his cup, smugly saying, “You’ll know for sure soon, there will be a moment.”</p><p>“What the fuck is tha’ supposed to mean?”</p><p>She shrugged, “Just what the leaves say. I’m just the messenger here.”</p><p>Just then, the rooftop door flew open and they turned to see Jess standing there in her short, lace navy playsuit. Her arms were loaded with a bottle of tequila and whiskey, a few bags of chips and some peanuts. It looked like she was struggling to balance them all.</p><p>He raised his eyes at Lottie, and she snorted in response. <em>Nah, that was just a coincidence.</em></p><p>Jess looked over the top of the haul in her arms and her face lit up when she locked eyes with him, “Bobby!” she squealed with delight, the sound making his heart stutter for a moment.</p><p>She stumbled slightly closing the door and dropping the packet of peanuts. He got up to give her a hand but she beat him to it, bending her knees to drop gracefully down to the floor as she reached her fingers down to pick it up, still managing to keep hold of everything else. She let out a victorious, “Ha!” as she stood back up.</p><p>Looking at him she laughed, “I came to save you from the wicked witch!”</p><p>“Hey! I’m right here,” Lottie said sourly.</p><p>Jess giggled, dropping all the items onto the coffee table between them.</p><p>“Are yeh moving in Lass?” he asked, sitting back down on the bench.</p><p>She rolled her eyes, picking up a bag of salt and vinegar crisps and flopping heavily onto the bench beside Lottie, “Please, this will keep me fed for an hour tops!” she laughed as she opened the bag and started eating.</p><p>“Why’d you bring so many?” Lottie asked, eyeing the bags.</p><p>“Well, the boys told me you’d kidnapped him and then tried to feed me a pathetically weak cocktail…”</p><p>“Aye, Henrik does not put enough in,” Bobby agreed.</p><p>“Right? So anyway, I was like, ‘pfft, break out the good stuff’ and Gary was all like ‘I need a chaser’ and I was like ‘why are you such a bitch’ and then he said -”</p><p>Lottie cut her off, “Since when do you talk so fucking much?”</p><p>Jess gave her a sheepish look before saying, “I’m really tired.”</p><p>For the first time Bobby noticed exactly how tired she looked. Her eyes were puffy at the edges and her posture didn’t have as much elegance as it normally did. She was slumping in her seat and resting her head against the backrest as if she couldn’t hold it up anymore.</p><p>“And you’re like an overactive toddler when you’re tired?” Lottie asked.</p><p>“Either that or a grumpy bitch. You’re welcome to choose which Jess you’d like right now,” she offered sweetly.</p><p>Lottie burst into laughter and then said, “Back to the chips.”</p><p>“Oh yeah! I was hungry and I didn’t want to share, so I grabbed all the chips!” she finished dramatically throwing her arms out, and the bag of chips with it. </p><p>Bobby chuckled and grabbed a packet of BBQ, “Thanks Lass.”</p><p>She scrunched her nose up, “Yuk.”</p><p>In mock horror he said, “Yeh don’t like BBQ?”</p><p>They had eaten chips together before, but he just realised they’d never discussed flavours. Whenever he was around Jess, it felt like he’d known her all his life, like he understood who she was at her core. It was always surprising when he learnt new things about her; reminding him they’d only known each other for ten days. That’s it. Ten days.</p><p>Fuck. She already had him tied up in knots.</p><p>Shaking her head vigorously, she exclaimed, “Fuck no! S&amp;V is the superior choice!”</p><p>“Nae Lass, it’s the wrong choice.”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes and leant closer to him, leaning over Lottie slightly, “If you’re a pleb.”</p><p>Lottie laughed, cutting off his comeback, and said, “Right, I’m going to go find Gary.”</p><p>“Oh I bet you are,” Jess smirked at her.</p><p>Lottie winked and walked out the door, closing it behind her.</p><p>Jess smiled at him and put another chip slowly in her mouth, taunting him. He was always fascinated with how she ate chips. She opened her entire mouth and put the whole chip in there, sucking on it before she’d start chewing. It was the weirdest thing he’d ever seen. He’d pointed it out once before and she’d jokingly said she just liked people to know how big her mouth can go and then asked him if he wanted to see what else she could fit in there.</p><p>He joked with himself sometimes that she was his soulmate. Who else would come up with that shit?</p><p>She let out a yawn, holding one hand over her mouth and closing her eyes. When she was done, she sighed and put her head back against the bench. God, she looked exhausted.</p><p>“Why don’t yeh go tae bed Lass?” he said quietly as he ate his chips. Like a normal person, by the way.</p><p>She rolled her body so she lay down on the bench, her head next to his hip. Looking up at him, her face upside down from his perspective, she gave him a smirk, “I didn’t think about that <em>Dad</em>, thanks.”</p><p>“Shut up yeh smartass.”</p><p>“You love it,” she grinned.</p><p>He reached out and booped her on the nose and her grin spread wider, making Bobby’s heart beat like crazy as she looked at him affectionately.</p><p>Suddenly her gaze turned thoughtful and she said, “I’m sorry for pushing you away earlier.”</p><p>“I get it,” he absentmindedly ran one hand through her hair, lightly massaging her scalp.</p><p>Closing her eyes, she hummed in appreciation. Obviously, he had to keep doing it. He'd do anything, literally <em>anything</em> to make her feel good.</p><p>They sat like that for an hour, Bobby drinking whiskey and refusing to let Jess have any alcohol, while they talked about random things. He told her about his band days, and she mocked him endlessly about the crazy groupies he had banged his way through. She told him about her time in university and he laughed at all the stupid shit she’d done.</p><p>He couldn't stop himself from thinking he never wanted it end. Hanging out with her like this was his favourite thing. Fuck, <em>she</em> was his favourite thing.</p><p>But sadly, it did end. The music downstairs was turned off, indicating that they were probably being called to go to bed.</p><p>Reluctantly he got to his feet, watching Jess as she groaned loudly, struggling to sit up, clutching her lower back as she stretched.</p><p>Bobby couldn't help laughing at her, “Oh that’s hot, Grandma.”</p><p>She smirked at him, “Oh, is that your kink huh?”</p><p>“Yeh couldn’t handle meh kink Lass.”</p><p>She stuck her foot out, wiggling her heeled foot at him, “Pretty sure I can.”</p><p>Bobby had no idea what came over him, but he suddenly pulled Jess up from the bench, stepping up so their bodies were pressed close together and wrapping an arm lightly around her waist. She gasped at the sudden movement and for a moment he worried that he’d gone too far. Then she grabbed onto his shirt as she stared up at him, a mixture of amusement and curiosity written on her face.</p><p>Leaning down, he pressed his lips to her ear to whisper, “That’s not it,” and he swore he felt her shiver.</p><p>He went to move his head away, but she grabbed him around the neck to stop him. Chills shot down his spine at her touch. Her hot breath brushed his ear as she whispered in a husky voice, “Bee, trust me, there’s <em>no way</em> you could handle <em>my</em> kink,” then she roughly scrapped her nails down his shoulders.</p><p>He had never gotten hard so fast before in his life. Desire ran through him and he had no idea what to do with it. Fuck. If she were any other girl, he’d crash his lips to hers in an instant. But this wasn’t any other girl. It was Jess. He couldn't catch his breath. Shit.</p><p>She let go, stepping back and giggling victoriously as she pranced off towards the rooftop door.</p><p>“Night Bee,” she said sweetly before heading inside.</p><p>Bobby looked down at his dick, silently telling it to shut the fuck up.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. Shit. Fuck.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Without me everyone would die</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jess feels like shit (when doesn't she). The boys swing their dicks around (when don't they). Bobby is awkward as fuck (Seriously, super cringe, someone help him. God, someone help <i>me.</i> Please).</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess woke up feeling like absolute shit. All of her muscles hurt. Her mouth was dry. She was sweaty and overheated. Closing her eyes again, she let out a small whimper.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god. Why?</em>
</p><p>Pushing through the pain thrumming in her body, she shifted slightly and her back scratched against the sheet, sending a sharp pain shooting through her.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. Please no. Crap.</em>
</p><p>No matter how much she wished it weren't true, there was no denying it. She was fucking sunburnt. Damn it.</p><p>She wished she could blame someone else for this bullshit, but really it was her own fault for spending several hours swimming without reapplying sunscreen. She was the Villa dumbass. The producers were going to kill her.</p><p>As slowly as possible, she sat up, for once grateful that Lucas was not a cuddler; she hadn’t had to wake up with him touching her.</p><p>Fuck it was hot in the room. She needed to get out; feel a breeze or cool air on her back. It was torture. Everywhere hurt. The heat made her head swirl. She felt dizzy.</p><p>Having managed to stand up, with only a <em>few</em> whimpers, she started to stumble towards the door, blindly heading for freedom in the darkness of the room.</p><p>Just as she found the door handle, someone mumbled from the bed closest to the door, “Yeh alright Lass?”</p><p>
  <em>Shit. Go back to sleep Bobby.</em>
</p><p>Turning around, she attempted to give him a reassuring smile, not trusting her voice.</p><p>Still half-asleep, Bobby was rubbing his eyes lazily, but his whole demeanor changed when he saw her face. Fuck. Where was her poker face when she needed it?</p><p>Throwing the blankets off himself, he was by her side in an instant, ushering her out the door with a hand on her side. Once they were outside the breeze blew her back and she let out a sigh of relief, pushing Bobby’s hot hands away from her. She felt like she could breathe again.</p><p>“What is it?” Bobby asked, his face filled with concern.</p><p>“I got sunburnt,” she whimpered pathetically, gesturing to her back.</p><p>Frowning, Bobby carefully turned her around, and muttered, “Fuck.”</p><p>And then, he burst out laughing, hand flying to cover his mouth so he wasn’t being too loud, despite the bedroom being soundproof. <em>Dick. </em></p><p>She spun around, glaring at him, “It’s not funny!”</p><p>He nodded his head, eyes bright with amusement as he gave her a look over his hand like he thought it was fucking hilarious. Grabbing her arm, he led her towards the kitchen, slowly letting his laughter get louder as they moved away from the door.</p><p>She crossed her arms, trying desperately not to laugh too, “Bee! Cut it out!”</p><p>Still laughing, he walked over to the freezer, pulling out the ice tray. Taking a tea towel, he dropped all the ice into it and turned her around, pressing it in between her shoulder blades.</p><p>She almost sighed in relief, bending over the counter and relaxing a little as she focused on the coolness stopping her from burning up. Laughing quietly, like the idiot he was, he continued pressing it against her skin in different places, gently lifting her top to get maximum exposure on her back but being careful enough not to expose side boob to the world. </p><p>Even though he was still laughing, his carefulness was surprising. She hadn't expected it, though in hindsight, she should have. It was... sweet.</p><p>After a while, Bobby pressed her shoulders gently, easing her down so she was lying completely flat on the counter and left the cold compress on her back, telling her to wait there.</p><p>God, how could she be so stupid. She just <em>had</em> to be the one burnt Islander didn’t she? She was getting such a good tan here too. Ugh. Now she was just going to be red and covered in intense tan lines. <em>Damn it.</em></p><p>The only consolation was that she tended to be a quick healer and hardly ever peeled. She sent a silent prayer, hoping that was going to be the case today.</p><p>Hearing footsteps, she turned her head to see Bobby grinning and waving a bottle victoriously, “Celia gave me the good stuff Lass.”</p><p>“Why am I not surprised you’re on first name basis with the nurse?”</p><p>“Aye, gotta have a back-up plan in here.”</p><p>“Bobby McKenzie! Don’t refer to a girl as a back-up plan!”</p><p>“Yer just mad because yeh just got bumped down the list,” he whispered to her, starting to rub the cream into her back.</p><p>She laughed despite herself, “You are an absolute moron Bee.”</p><p>Chuckling, clearly proud of his joke, he continued rubbing her back, his movements so soothing that she closed her eyes, and they fell into comfortable silence.</p><p>Then, <em>completely</em> out of nowhere, she started to become <em>very</em> aware of his hands on her skin. <em>And</em> the fact they were currently <em>under</em> her top. <em>And</em> that every movement of his hands made her skin tingle just a little bit. <em>And</em>... well, um, she definitely didn't hate it.</p><p>
  <em>Er... what the fuck is happening?</em>
</p><p>Clearing his throat, Bobby said, “It’s actually nae that bad.”</p><p>“I don’t look like a tomato?” she asked, surprised her voice came out normal.</p><p>“Nae, it’s gone down, just a bit pink now.”</p><p>“Well. Small victories I guess.”</p><p>“All done!” he announced, setting the cream on the counter next to her and washing his hands, “Yeh gotta put it on every hour and stay out of the sun today.”</p><p>“Oh yeah, that’s going to be <em>really</em> easy here,” she rolled her eyes.</p><p>He let out a dramatically fake gasp, “Oh no Jess! Yeh might have tae wear clothes that actually cover yer tits. How will yeh ever find a man?!”</p><p>She pulled her face into a blank expression and said in a low monotone, “With my sparkling personality, obviously.”</p><p>His eyes danced playfully as he laughed, “And sunshiny attitude.”</p><p>“Glad you get it.”</p><p>He scrunched his nose up as he went to put the kettle on, “I would nae say <em>that</em>, yeh tits are the only reason I talk to yeh.”</p><p>“That’s alright, I only talk to you because of your hip dips,” she joked half-heartedly while mentally telling herself to not think about his deep V.</p><p>Or the way his pyjamas hung low enough on his hips right now that she had to force herself not to stare. Or let her mind wander.</p><p>
  <em>Shit, shit, shit. Come on Jess. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fuck, ok. Sister. You are like his sister.</em>
</p><p>Bobby laughed, bumping the side of his hip against hers, “Oh Aye? And here I thought it was my sweet ass.”</p><p>“Don’t remind me, I’m scarred for life,” she deadpanned.</p><p>“There you guys are!” Priya called as she walked over, still in her lingerie.</p><p>“Hey Pri, yeh want a coffee?” Bobby asked as he stirred the two mugs already out.</p><p>“Oh sure babe, but that’s not why I’m here,” she said, holding her phone out and shaking it at them, “I got a text and I’m pumped!”</p><p>“What is it?” Jess asked, accepting the coffee Bobby slid across the bench for her.</p><p>“Well,” Priya said, smirking at Bobby for a moment before reading, “Boys, later today you will be competing to win the title of Mr Love Island. Get ready to strut your stuff in the swimwear challenge, show off your skills in the talent contest, and reveal hidden depths with a beautiful speech about love. The girls will be your judges and the winner will get a special prize. You have four hours to prepare #beautyking #showusyourstuff.”</p><p>
  <em>Yes. To everything. Mostly the swimwear challenge.</em>
</p><p>“Fucking amazing!”</p><p>“Yes! I knew you’d be here for it Jess!” Priya laughed.</p><p>Turning to see what Bobby thought, she was surprised to find him looking contemplative. Leaning back against the counter, he was kind of staring deep into his mug, not looking at either of them. </p><p>Walking over, she reached out and touched his arm softly. He looked up, meeting her gaze, and instead of his usual shining amusement, he looked rather unsure. Not like him at all. She didn't like <em>this</em> one bit.</p><p>Very quickly, Bobby shook off whatever he was worried about and offered her a wide grin, “Dinnae worry about me Lass, I'm just thinking about what I'm gonna dae.”</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, you can't fool me McKenzie.</em>
</p><p>Without thinking it all the way through, she announced happily, “I'm gonna help you win you that crown Bee.”</p><p>“Oh Aye? Are yeh gonna help me?” he titled his head at her.</p><p>“Favouritism Jess!” Priya said laughingly.</p><p>Jess turned to Priya and grinned, “Damn straight. Make sure everyone knows it too!”</p><p>Priya just shook her head and sipped the coffee Bobby passed her earlier.</p><p>Looking back at Bobby, Jess said, “Go get ready. I’ll make some breakfast and we’ll strategize later k?”</p><p>He nodded and gave her a grateful smile before jogging off back into the Villa.</p><p>Smirking, Priya eyed her, “I don’t think Lucas will be too happy if you help Bobby and not him.”</p><p>“Lucas could win it in a heartbeat,” Jess rolled her eyes, then a thought occurred to her, “Oh shit, are <em>you</em> okay with me helping Bobby?” </p><p>Priya studied her for a moment, her lips pursed and expression unreadable, “Sure, I don't mind, you're just friends right?”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“To be honest, I’m just excited to see them all baby oiled up. I don’t really care about the rest,” Priya winked.</p><p>“Mmm… gotta admit, I’m looking forward to it too.”</p><p>
  <em>Like, a lot.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby was freaking the fuck out. Obviously.</p><p>All the boys were huddled in the guy’s dressing room, and all of them seemed to mostly have figured out their game plan. But Bobby? Yeah, he kept drawing blanks.</p><p>He wasn’t usually the type to make such a big deal out of these things, but for some reason, the idea of standing in front of the girls, being judged alongside all these other guys, had him bricking it. He wasn’t the strongest, tallest, fittest, smartest, or even the guy who’d pulled the most chicks. All he had going for him was that he could make people laugh. Sometimes. But how was he meant to pull that into a talent? He sucked at stand up that one time he tried it. Absolutely bombed it.</p><p>So, to sum up, he had nothing.</p><p>Well... not <em>nothing</em>. An hour in, he'd decided to sneak into the ladies’ room and steal a dress from Priya. He figured that he’d a least get a laugh from the girls for the swimsuit bit. Not ideal, but it was the only idea he'd had so he was going with it.</p><p>Just as he was helping Henrik pick out a lipstick colour - that Bobby also stole from the girls - Jess walked in. Like his fucking guardian angel.</p><p>He prayed she still wanted to help him. Otherwise, he might be screwed.</p><p>Today Jess had on a dark blue bikini that had cute little tassels hanging from the band underneath her breasts. Breasts that were <em>definitely</em> on display, despite their joking earlier that she had to cover them from the sun. Over her shoulders she wore a black sheer cover up that had lace trimming on the edges, but hadn’t bothered to close it. Clearly that's what she thought passed as 'covered up'. It definitely didn't.</p><p>He wished he wasn't staring at her like a fucking moron in that moment, but he was. See, she had on slightly more eyeliner than usual and it made her eyes look far bluer. Like the deep ocean. It drew him in and he literally couldn't think of anything else for a few seconds. Fuck he loved her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>She's not even looking at you, you idiot. Stop it.</em>
</p><p>Bobby was so fucking distracted, he didn’t even notice she was carrying a tray of food until Gary yelled out, “Oh shit, did you make us breakfast Jess?”</p><p>Jess looked far too busy scanning the absolute shit show that was the boys dressing room at present to be paying much attention to anything, a mixture of concern, amusement and confusion written over her face. Slowly, almost absentmindedly, she handed over the tray to Gary, “Yeah, sure, whatever Gaz, burritos, enjoy.”</p><p>All the boys, including him, stopped whatever it was they were doing and grabbed one. And <em>fuck</em>, she was such a great cook. The eggs were creamy and not overcooked, the wrap was toasted and crunchy, the cheese melty and the bacon salty, plus, she’d put sweet chilli in it. It was fucking amazing. Could this girl get any more perfect?</p><p>Everyone was giving her compliments, their mouths full, but Jess looked like she didn't really give a fuck, occasionally making a hum in her throat, all the while staring the same dumbfounded stare.</p><p>Eventually it seemed like she finally couldn't take it anymore and started giggling, “What the fuck is going on in here?”</p><p>Henrik, who was covered in glitter, piped up, “I was going to go with red, what do you think?” he asked, holding out a tube of lipstick.</p><p>“Yeah, definitely your colour babe. I... shit Hen, you look amazing. Wow,” she said almost reverently.</p><p>“You like?” he asked, doing a pose for her.</p><p>“Oh babe, I <em>love!”</em></p><p>Still laughing, she stepped further into the room, finding and picking up a pair of bright red speedos, “Oh <em>please</em>, dear god, tell me someone is going to be wearing <em>these.”</em></p><p>“I would nae touch those if I were yeh,” Bobby joked.</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Jess scoffed while all the boys laughed. Noah pointed at Gary, who went as bright red as the undies.</p><p>Jess's eyes glimmered as she eyed Gary, “I will 100% vote for you if you do.”</p><p>“Hey! You’re <em>meant</em> to vote for me,” Lucas jumped in, smirking at her.</p><p>Jess smiled at him sweetly, waving the speedos in the air, “Wear these and I will.”</p><p>Laughing, Lucas grabbed the speedos, chucking them back onto Gary’s pile of things, “Stop touching other boys’ underwear, love.”</p><p>Lucas grabbed her around the waist, but she immediately winced slightly and pushed herself away from him, “Sorry, my back is a little burnt.”</p><p>“I was wondering why you were wearing this,” he murmured as he ran his fingers over the cover up.</p><p>“It’s Lottie’s,” she explained with a shrug.</p><p>Going back to walking around the room, she stopped directly in front of Bobby, eyeing Priya's dress that was sitting next to him.</p><p>An amused smile played on her lips as she caught his eye, “McKenzie, you’re going to get in so much trouble for that.”</p><p>Swallowing a mouthful, he winked, “Aye, I’ll make it up tae her though.”</p><p>
  <em>Shit. Why did I say that? </em>
</p><p>He definitely wasn’t; at least not in the way it sounded.</p><p>Jess smirked, then said cheerfully to the group, “Right, I’ll leave you boys to it. Bee, you wanna talk game plan?” she looked at him with her head tilted, clearly trying to assess if he still needed her help. He did.</p><p>Nodding quickly, he picked up a second burrito - one for the road - and gestured towards the door.</p><p>“Oi! You can’t help him!” Gary complained.</p><p>“If you help anyone, it should be me,” Lucas said with a frown.</p><p>“Sorry boys, it’s nepotism at its finest. When you get puppy eyes as cute as his we’ll talk,” she shrugged and walked out the door with zero fuck's given to the rest of the complaints.</p><p>Bobby turned around, giving all the boys a shit-eating grin, to which they either groaned or told him to piss off. Worth every second. <em>God</em> he loved being the one Jess chose to help. It felt like he'd already won the damn contest.</p><p>Practically skipping down the stairs, he followed Jess as she sat down on one of the beds in the empty bedroom and threw himself down next to her while he took another bite.</p><p>She let out a little giggle and shook her head, “Right, so you’ve obviously got the swimwear section down. I can’t wait to see you in that dress to be fair.”</p><p>“Yeh just want a perve,” he said between mouthfuls.</p><p>“I mean, I <em>have</em> been trying to see your bits for a while now, so yeah, I'm not ashamed to admit it,” she joked, making him chuckle.</p><p>Swallowing the last bite of his burrito, he told her, “I’m actually dreading the talent part. I dinnae really have any talents.”</p><p>“That’s not true, and you know it! You sing, you cook, you do impressions, you flash unsuspecting girls,” they both giggled for a bit before she carried on, “It doesn’t have to be serious, or even long, just something simple.”</p><p>“What would yeh do?”</p><p>“I can do a backflip,” she announced, as though she got asked that all the time.</p><p>“Fuck off yeh can.”</p><p>The look on her face told him she was not fucking around.</p><p>
  <em>Oh shit. Ok. This he had to see. </em>
</p><p>Glaring at him, she stood, taking off her heels and walking to the middle of the room. After looking behind her to check there was nothing in the way, she turned and smirked at him. He could <em>not fucking wait</em> to see this.</p><p>She took a deep breath, bent down and launched herself into a perfect backflip. Her hair and the cover up flew around her like waves and Bobby’s jaw dropped as she landed perfectly back in the exact same spot she was standing in before and shooting him a wink.</p><p>“There’s nae way I could do that,” he scoffed, still staring at her like a gobsmacked idiot. Which, he was.</p><p>Jess laughed and jumped back on the bed beside him, causing him to shift a bit closer. Close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating off her skin, and he suddenly had the urge to move closer to her.</p><p>
  <em>Wait, shit, focus.</em>
</p><p>A self-satisfied grin on her face, Jess said, “Good, because I would be <em>far</em> less impressive if you could.”</p><p>“I highly doubt that Lass,” he said quietly.</p><p>Crap. When did he turn into such a fucking melt?</p><p>And <em>then</em>, Jess blushed. Actually blushed. It stunned him for a moment. </p><p>But she recovered quickly, rolling her eyes, “Just do something you’re good at.”</p><p>“Yeah, I dinnae think kissing all the girls would be a good idea,” he jokingly winked.</p><p>“Wouldn’t that be Lucas’s talent?”</p><p>Grabbing his chest dramatically, he whined, “Right where it hurts Lass.”</p><p>Giggling at her own joke, she threw her head back for a moment, clearly enjoying the fact that she'd got him.</p><p>When she looked back at him, his breath caught in his throat at how pretty she looked in that moment, almost stopping him from being able to hear her say, “Okay, seriously though, got any ideas?”</p><p>“Maybe a few…” he answered mysteriously.</p><p>Truthfully, he had <em>just</em> had an idea, but he kind of wanted it to be a surprise for her. She didn't know about <em>this</em> skill yet.</p><p>“Are you going to tell me?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, “Fiiinnee. What about the speech?”</p><p>“Aye, I was going tae try steal something from Ryan Gosling.”</p><p>Running her eyes up and down his body, she scrunched up her nose, “Eh, I don’t think you could pull him off Bee.”</p><p>He gasped, “<em>First</em> yeh say I’m a bad kisser, <em>now</em> yeh say I’m not hot. Remind me how yeh helping Lass?”</p><p>“Okay Bee, I did not say <em>either</em> of those things.”</p><p>“Oh, so yeh <em>do</em> think I’m a good kisser?” he wiggled his eyes brows at her.</p><p>Her eyes sparkled at him for a moment, but she didn't reply, instead just cheekily tapped her nose. <em>Damn it. Fuck.</em> He really wanted to know the answer. Really, <em>really</em> wanted to know.</p><p>Still smiling, she said, “Regardless, you don’t need to be something you’re not. Just be yourself.”</p><p>“Yeah but is being myself going tae be enough?” he asked awkwardly.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck was that bullshit Bobby?</em>
</p><p>Crap. He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. No, no, no. Why was he feeling so vulnerable right now? Ugh.</p><p>While he was fighting down his humiliation at asking such a pathetic question, Jess just studied him quietly. Her head was tilted, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth, eyes boring into his so deep he wondered if she could see his soul.</p><p>After a moment she whispered, “It’s enough for me.”</p><p>Suddenly, his heart started pounding in his chest, drowning everything else out. He couldn't stop staring at her, and it almost seemed like she couldn't stop staring at him either. Her gaze was affectionate and caring, like she saw all of him and that he was always enough for her. Getting lost in her eyes, he felt drawn to her, she made him feel safe. Honestly, he never wanted her to stop looking at him like that.</p><p>All at once, it overwhelmed him. This feeling that they were the only two people who existed in the world. All of his senses narrowed down to her and magnified in his mind. As though she were everything. And in that moment, she was. Her face, the sounds of her breathing, the sweet floral scent of her perfume, <em>everything</em> about her. It surrounded him, engulfing him, and he couldn't breath, felt like he was drowning, felt like he never wanted to <em>stop</em> drowning.</p><p>He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. He <em>could</em> have stopped himself from letting his fingers linger on her cheek. But he didn’t.</p><p>And then it hit him.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I want to kiss her. </em>
</p><p>Shock seeped into his bones at the realisation. Not because he hadn’t thought about kissing her before. No, he had. Obviously; she was hot.</p><p>No, this was shocking because, for the first time ever, he wanted her to be <em>his</em> to kiss. He wanted <em>her</em>. The longer he stared into her eyes, the stronger the feeling got. A feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. Did he like Jess? Did he want more than friends? More than sex?</p><p>Surely not.</p><p>For some reason, he started speaking, his voice unintentionally husky and low, “I hope Lucas knows how lucky he is tae be with yeh.”</p><p>
  <em>Where did that come from? Shit, shit, shit.</em>
</p><p>She opened her mouth to say something, and he expected her to make a joke, to say something like ‘he better’. But instead, she frowned slightly and closed her mouth again, swallowing so hard he couldn't stop his eyes from flicking to her throat.</p><p>Wait. Does she feel this too? Was she thinking about kissing him?</p><p>The air felt electric, thick and heavy, and it was like it had made it's way into his mind, fogging everything up, making it hard to focus. To him, it felt like they were just waiting. Waiting for something to snap and change things between them. And oh <em>god</em>, did he want them to. He wanted to close the distance and kiss her. He was desperate to. He'd never wanted to kiss <em>anyone</em> more than he wanted to kiss her right now. But there were other things too. Confusing things. Like a sudden urge to tell her he wanted more. He wanted whatever she’d give him. As long as they didn't have to stop. As long as they could stay like this forever.</p><p>Then, the spell broke. Jess broke eye contact with him as she moved back, leaving his hand to drop heavily to the bed. Something that felt like disappointment fell upon him and he tried to blink it away, tried not to watch her as she busied herself with putting her heels back on.</p><p>Clearing her throat and taking a shaky breath, she met his eyes again and flashed him an easy smile. The moment was gone.</p><p>
  <em>Was it even real?</em>
</p><p>Maybe he just hadn’t gotten laid in a few weeks. Yeah, he was probably just clutching at straws right?</p><p>“I should let you get back to it Bee. Can’t wait to see what your talent is,” she said laughingly, clearly not as affected by the last few minutes as he.</p><p>Not sure if he could pull off the same nonchalant tone, he just tapped his nose and shot her his signature grin, hoping he looked casual.</p><p>At the door, she turned around and said, “Not that you need it, but good luck,” then walked outside before he could say anything.</p><p>With a groan, he flopped down on the bed, running his hands over his face.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck just happened?</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ok, what the <em>fuck</em> was that?</p><p>Jess shook her head, trying to clear whatever bullshit had entered her mind a minute ago. She had <em>actually</em> thought about kissing Bobby. Her friend. When she was with Lucas; her partner. And Bobby was with Priya; his partner and her friend.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck, fuck, fuck.</em>
</p><p>Nope, no way. She was obviously still just tired and overwhelmed. The last few days had been a<em> lot</em>. It was just too much right? She was just going crazy. Just a weird glitch in her brain.</p><p>
  <em>Crap.</em>
</p><p>Wait, if it <em>was</em> all is in her head, did that mean he was just being friendly to her and she took it too far. <em>Oh fuuuuccckkk.</em> He was sitting there, not in the slightest bit attracted to her, probably thinking <em>‘oh what a cute moment with my sister’</em>, and she was sitting there thinking about having his lips on hers, about what he would taste like, about running her fingers across his bare chest.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god Jess. What is wrong with you?</em>
</p><p>She covered her face with her hands as the embarrassment settled in. <em>Ugh.</em> She was the worst friend in the world. Who does that? He hadn’t said a word to her. Did he know? Did he think she was pathetic? She felt pathetic.</p><p>
  <em>Someone put me out of my misery. Please.</em>
</p><p>Not at all in the mood to lounge on the daybeds with the girls, or anyone for that matter, she headed to the swing couch that was tucked away at the far end of the Villa. Basically her only option as half the Villa was taken over by a giant screen, shielding the construction for the Mr Love Island stage from them.</p><p>Groaning loudly as she lay down, she closed her eyes, hoping for a nap. Alright, she really just hoped a nap will help her snap the fuck out of it. Maybe get her mind off it.</p><p>But, her brain clearly had other ideas and instead of sleeping, she found herself ruminating. Intensely.</p><p>So much so, that by the time Priya came to get her for the 'big reveal', Jess had decided three things. First, she was probably still suffering heat stroke, obviously, otherwise she would never think of Bobby like that. Second, she was going to stop overthinking it, because it was driving her crazy. And third, she really should have eaten something earlier. She was fucking starving.</p><p>Finally, after what felt like forever, the girls walked back outside to find a massive white catwalk in the middle of the lawn. There were pillars and a stage area, and on either side of the catwalk was a row of chairs, each with their names on it. It was impressive, but Jess didn't care that much about it. She just wanted the show to get on the road already.</p><p>
  <em>Bring on the baby oiled dudes.</em>
</p><p>Did she feel bad for clearly only being interested in objectifying the boys? Not at all.</p><p>The music started, and one by one, all the boys were introduced, walked up and down the runway and took a seat on the other side of the catwalk.</p><p>It was everything she'd hope for; sexy, strange and awkward as fuck.</p><p>In order, the stand outs for the swimwear round were, Gary; who had come out in his usual shorts and then ripped them off to reveal the bright red speedos she’d found earlier. All the girls screamed in delight, including Jess. It was weird, saucy and kinda gross all at once. She <em>loved</em> every second of it. And every second after where he had to sit around in speedos for the rest of the competition.</p><p>Next, obviously, was Lucas. He was something to behold. And drool at. Dumping a bottle of water on his head at the end of the catwalk, he proceeded to walk down with water dripping down his abs and glistening in the sun. It was <em>fucking</em> hot. None of the girls said anything, all too busy staring. Yeah. And, well, not to brag or anything, but Jess is the one who gets to snog him. So, winning.</p><p>Bobby was also one of her favourites, to the surprise of no one. Ok, here's the thing, she had no idea that a guy in a dress could be attractive, but <em>fuck</em>, he was. Priya’s silver dress clung to him in all the right places and it almost left her a little confused. Who'd have thought? Naturally, as is her job as best friend, she gave him absolute <em>hell</em> as he walked down, mocking him to the point where he jumped from the stage and gave her and Priya a mini lap dance each while the other girls shrieked with laughter. Surprisingly, it made it that much hotter.</p><p>Unfortunately, the next round was the talent section, and this is where Jess's top three fell of the rails. Christ. Gary ate a freaking onion - <em>why? </em>- and Lucas had fucked up a weird egg trick he was doing, unintentionally - or so he claims - hitting Lottie in the face instead. Jess <em>definitely</em> did not laugh. Alright, maybe a little.</p><p>Noah and Rahim made up a few points in this round, the first doing an impressive french braid and the latter doing crunches and a rubix cube, which was impressive because, er, abs and, uh, sweat.</p><p>And then Bobby was up. Running onto the stage area, he threw his arms out, basking in the deafening applause of six girls, “Thank you, thank you ladies.”</p><p>Bobby pulled out a handkerchief from the top of the dress and waved it around, “While you’re all distracted checking me out in this hot little number,” he wiggled his hips, “I’m going to dazzle you with another little treat.”</p><p>He waved the handkerchief once more, let off a puff of smoke, and suddenly, out of nowhere, the handkerchief was gone and he was holding a cupcake triumphantly in his hand.</p><p><em>Holy shit.</em> Why did she not know he could do magic?</p><p>All the girls erupted in applause and Jess had to admit, it was the cutest talent they’d seen so far, <em>and</em> it was so Bobby.</p><p>She didn't want to call this competition too early, but the points don't lie. Bobby had this.</p><p>“Something sweet, for someone sweet,” Bobby said, winking at Jess as he placed the cupcake down in front of her.</p><p>
  <em>Ah, yes please.</em>
</p><p>With absolutely no hesitation, Jess grabbed the cupcake and held it in the air, wiggling her eyebrows at the other girls.</p><p>“You’re not actually going to eat that are you?” Hannah asked, visibly disgusted.</p><p>“Fuck yes I am,” she smirked at her, and took a way larger bite than necessary, making the buttercream stick to her nose.</p><p>She swallowed the cupcake and winked at Bobby, purposefully leaving the frosting on her nose so she looked like even more of a idiot as she pulled a face at him.</p><p>Chuckling, he gave her the cutest fucking smile in the world, eyes crinkling in the corners in her favourite way.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck, stop being so adorable Bobby!</em>
</p><p>Jo screwed up her face, “You know that was probably down his pants, right?”</p><p>“Grooossss,” Hannah whined.</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes, not giving a fuck what they thought; it was delicious, she was hungry and, not to be crude, but it's not like she'd never sucked a dick before, so who cares where he kept it?</p><p>So, she just continued to eat the cupcake as she watched Henrik accidentally tripping Priya over as they danced. She may or may not have been secretly stealing glances at Bobby the entire time, finding him watching her with an amused look on his face.</p><p>The crew came in to clear up the mess that was left on the stage - namely leftover onion and egg - and Bobby came over to say hi to her and Lottie.</p><p>Immediately, he used a finger to wipe the buttercream from her nose, “So, yeh liked the cupcake then Lass?”</p><p>“Yup! Sweaty balls is my second favourite flavour!”</p><p>“Oh, well I’d be happy to serve my balls tae yeh every day.”</p><p>Lottie groaned, “Can we not talk about balls anymore?”</p><p>Jess gasped in fake horror, “We weren’t. We were talking about Bobby’s <em>taint</em>-ed cupcakes.”</p><p>Bobby shot her a look that told her he was highly amused by this, while Lottie continued groaning.</p><p>“Anyway McKenzie, when were you planning on telling me you can do magic?” Jess asked, narrowing her eyes at him.</p><p>Bobby chuckled, tapped his nose, and said, “Oops, looks like we’re being ushered back to it.”</p><p>
  <em>Dick.</em>
</p><p>“Sure, break a leg,” Lottie deadpanned.</p><p>Winking, Bobby jogged off, Priya’s dress floating behind him.</p><p>As they took their seats, Lottie whispered, “He’s way too comfortable in that dress.”</p><p>Secretly, Jess thought his confidence in it was fucking hot.</p><p>Honestly, Jess could have happily skipped the next round. But, while she <em>wanted</em> to drift out, the boys clearly all worked hard so she reluctantly paid attention.</p><p>To sum up, Noah’s about finding the ‘one’ in Hope, made her gag. Gary's was about his nan, no surprise. Ibrahim gave a speech about hero’s that Jo didn’t understand, which was embarrassing for everyone. Henrik’s was a cute play on words about being adventurous. Lucas’s one about not taking anything for granted was wholesome. Bobby had lots of baking puns and references in a speech that was shockingly sentimental, so Jess pulled faces at him once he’d sat back down, mouthing that he was a melt.</p><p>Soon, the girls gathered around to discuss who they were going to crown as the winner.</p><p>Hope banged on and on about Noah, but the other girls shot her down, saying that he just wasn’t that interesting, which Hope then sulked about. Then there was an argument between Jo and Priya about Ibrahim, so they all agreed he couldn’t win, and Lucas, Henrik and Gary’s talents were a flop. Jess didn't really know why they were discussing this further. Bobby was clearly the winner.</p><p>Alright, maybe there was some bias at play here. But seriously, what kind of coach would she be if she didn’t also vote for him?</p><p>“Well, I'm voting Bobby. I thought he was amazing,” Jess announced.</p><p>Lottie smirked, “I bet you did.”</p><p>Jess opened her mouth to tell her to shove it, but Priya cut her off, “I agree, he had us all in stiches the whole time. It was a really good performance, he’s the winner for sure.”</p><p>After a bit more debating, mostly arguing, everyone agreed and Priya stood up to announce the winner.</p><p>“Right. All of you did such an amazing job and it made picking a winner really hard. This boy made us laugh, cry, and melt into puddles at his handsome feet. By unanimous decision, Mr Love Island is…” everyone started drumming on the catwalk, “Bobby!”</p><p>“Oh fuck,” he said, looking the picture of surprise and then ran up, bowing and throwing his hands around and basically just being as dramatic as possible. He eventually made his way to Priya, accepting a pink sash and tiara from her, before parading up the runway like a pageant queen.</p><p>“Speech!” Gary yelled out, laughing at the show he was putting on.</p><p>Fanning his fake tears, Bobby started, “Well, first of all, I’d like tae thank Jess. She showed real favouritism with the contestants today and someone who can dae that and still be a judge, is, well, corrupt as fuck. But it worked out in my favour so nae complaints here.”</p><p>There was a mixture of laughs and boos from everyone else.</p><p>“Oh, like you didn’t try bribing me with a cupcake,” she countered.</p><p>Wiggling his eyebrows, he continued on, “Hey, it worked dinnit? Seriously though, she’s a good mate. I'd also like tae thank my fans watching at home, I knae yeh wish -”</p><p>At this point, the boys had enough of his speech, and Gary and Ibrahim picked him up and tossed him into the pool, leaving everyone in hysterics as he floundered about complaining about his sash.</p><p>Finally getting out of the pool, Priya’s dress absolutely soaking wet, Bobby checked his phone and read out, “Congratulations on winning Mr Love Island! As your prize, tonight you will get to speak to your loved ones back home #winnerwinner #videochat”</p><p>Bobby looked up, his entire face lit up, and the boys all gathered him in for a massive group hug.</p><p>He totally deserved it. The fact that she had helped him, so it was also kind of her win too, had nothing to do with it. Nope. Not at all.</p><p>Well, obviously a little.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby was feeling absolutely pumped. He got to speak to someone from home and the anticipation had been killing him all afternoon. Adjusting his sash one more time, he sat on the ridiculously large chair in the Beach Hut and waited for the screen to come on.</p><p>It flickered to life and there, squashed onto a three-seater couch, were his mates. The fam. All six of them. Big Jonno, his best mate who he’d known since he was little, having grown up a few houses down from each other. Jared, who they’d both met in primary school. Though quiet and reserved, all three of them used to hang out every day. Logan and Callum, who they’d met at high school and became a tight fivesome, wreaking havoc in their hometown as teenagers, and Arran and Clyde, who were Bobby’s old band mates and had clicked with the others so well they became part of the crew in their early twenties.</p><p>All of his mates, except Jonno and Logan, were married, and Arran even had a kid. They’d all gone from tearing up the town, to going to each other’s house for BBQ’s. And, while Bobby loved the single life with Jonno and Logan, he wanted desperately to be as happy as his other mates were. Namely, married to the love of his life.</p><p>“Lads!” Bobby shouted at them, instantly rewarded with a chorus of shouts.</p><p>“Aye mate! It’s gud tae see ya stupid mug,” Jonno bellowed.</p><p>Clyde laughed, “Wha’ the <em>fuck</em> are yeh wearing?”</p><p>Bobby held up his sash, “Oh this? I’m Mr fucking Love Island lads!”</p><p>“Fuck off yeh are! Yeh haven’t banged a single lass yet!” Logan jeered.</p><p>“I did nae come here tae bang my way through the Villa.”</p><p>“Oi, why nae? Those girls are fucking hot!” Logan protested.</p><p>“He’s looking fer love don’t ya know,” Arran sing-songed, probably to mock him.</p><p>With a roll of his eyes, he chastised them, “Shut it ya twats.”</p><p>Jonno leant closer to the screen, presumably trying to look Bobby in the eye, “Ok ok, can we talk ‘bout the fucking elephant in the room?” </p><p>“You?”</p><p>“Shove et up yeh bagpipe Bobs,” Jonno growled playfully, “Ah watched the episode where yeh pied me off fer Jess.”</p><p>Laughing, mostly to ignore the weird flutter in his chest at the memory of that night, he said, “I’m nae even sorry, cannae lie, she’s like 10 times hotter than yeh. I traded up fer sure.”</p><p>“Hmmm, she's a looker alright,” Jonno winked and was met with a round of agreement from the rest of the boys.</p><p>Bobby tired desperately not to let it get under his skin, but it did. Because, yeah, she was hot, but, well, that's not why he, er, liked her, ahh, as a friend. Fuck. Suddenly the Beach Hut felt very claustrophobic. It was far too hot in here.</p><p>“Yeh alright man?” Logan smirked, breaking him out of his mini panic attack.</p><p>“What? Yeah, course.”</p><p>“Reeeaallly? Then why are yeh white as a sheet?”</p><p>“This got something tae do wid Jess?” Callum asked.</p><p>Bobby shrugged, hoping it came across as casual, “We’re mates.”</p><p>Looking dubious, Jonno pressed, “Really? That all?”</p><p>“Everyone wants yeh tae get together,” Callum told him, smiling broadly at him.</p><p>“Tae be fair, <em>Ahm</em> rooting fer yeh tae get wid anyone,” Logan joked.</p><p>“But the way yeh look at each other; it’s gross,” Clyde said, pulling a face.</p><p>Fighting off a smile at that statement, he sighed “Guys, it’s just TV, it’s nae like that between -”</p><p>Jonno cut him off, “Fuck off. Ah knae that’s bullshit.”</p><p>Without him wanting to, the memory of wanting to kiss Jess earlier in the day entered his mind, sending his pulse up. Shifting uncomfortably, he opened his mouth, then promptly shut it again, not able to find the words to deny it.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. Just say no. Tell them, without a doubt, that nothing will happen there. </em>
</p><p>For some reason, he couldn’t. There was a teeny tiny voice in the back of his mind that wouldn’t let him deny it one more time. Shit. What did that mean?</p><p>All the boys immediately started laughing at his inability to speak. It wasn’t often he couldn’t even come up with a joke to deflect.</p><p>
  <em>Goddamn it.</em>
</p><p>Jonno, with a massive, shit-eating grin on his face, said, “Fer what it’s worth mate, I think she’s a fucking great catch. Proper wife material.”</p><p>“She is, yeah, but not fer me. She likes Lucas.”</p><p>“Fuck, he’s a prick innit?” he said, pulling a face.</p><p>Bobby barked out a laugh, grateful his mates saw it too, “Yeh can say tha’ again.”</p><p>Jonno leant forward and studied him for a moment, “Look Bobs, let’s get real fer a sec. She’s hot, smart, and funny, yeh spend tonnes of time together, yeh have great banter and obvious chemistry. She likes yeh, yeh like her. Why aren’t yeh at least throwin’ ya hat in the ring?”</p><p>He threw his hands in the air in frustration and everything just kind of spilled out of him in a weird, messy monologue, “Because she’s a <em>mate</em>. And if I… well, liked her as more - which I’m not saying I dae - what if she doesn’t feel the same? I mean, she <em>doesn't</em> feel the same. <em>Or</em>, ok, if we start something, what if it just ends up with us as fuck buddies? What if I never feel... more? Then I've done nothing different in here. Just the same old shit. And fer her too. She does nae want love, but she fucking deserves it. A lot. And I cannae give it tae her. I might nae <em>ever</em> have feelings for her. What dae I have tae offer?”</p><p>Bobby blew out a breath, suddenly exhausted. Fuck, why was he so upset?</p><p>Exchanging looks with each other, the boys all sat quietly for a while. Bobby knew them well enough to know they had something to say, and were just wondering who was going to say it. They were his best mates after all.</p><p>He braced himself for impact as Jonno coughed and slowly said, “Er, Bobby, mate, yeh <em>already</em> have feelings fer her.”</p><p>Logan nodded, “Everyone can see it.”</p><p>“Yer kind of the only one tha' cannae,” Callum added sympathetically.</p><p>Letting out long, cathartic groan, Bobby closed his eyes and threw his head back.</p><p>He <em>couldn’t</em> have feelings for her. Could he? Wait, did he? Fuck. Shit. She was his friend. He <em>refused</em> to like her. Absolutely, without out a doubt, refused.</p><p>But… what would liking her even look like? What would that mean? It had been an unspoken rule from day one that they were just friends. Why the fuck did he want to change the script now? What an idiot. Seriously. He was just going to change his mind suddenly, and expect her to be on board? </p><p>Wait, what if she didn’t feel the same. Oh <em>fuck</em>, she <em>doesn’t</em> feel the same. She likes Lucas. She’d never actually showed any interest in him. She didn’t like him.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>Jared, who thus far hadn't said much at all, broke the awkward silence, “She calls everyone babe.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Everyone but yeh?” he pressed.</p><p>Bobby thought about it for a moment and couldn’t recall a time. Bobs, B, Captain B-Smooth, McKenzie, egg, idiot, moron. Honestly, if he was listing insults, the list could go on forever. But the cutting truth was, Jared was right. Never babe.</p><p>He let out a dry huff that felt sore in his throat, “Yeah, that’s nae great.”</p><p>Jared leant forward, “Nah, she calls <em>everyone</em> babe. <em>Except yeh.</em>”</p><p>“I dinnae think it’s that deep mate.”</p><p><em>Was it? </em>The question stuck in his mind, feeling like it had cemented itself somewhere in his brain.</p><p>In usual Jared style, he shrugged, done with the conversation.</p><p>Bobby concurred with his sentiment, instead sighing and changing the topic, “Anyway, tell me what’s going on back home? How’s me ma &amp; da?”</p><p>Thankfully, the boys must have recognised he was done with Jess-Hour and immediately started chatting about all the things that had changed in the last two weeks back home. Safe to say, not a lot, but there were a few funny stories they all laughed about.</p><p>Eventually time was up, and with a heavy heart, Bobby said goodbye to his favourite people. Er, outside of the Villa. Because, while Bobby might not know much, he <em>did</em> know none of them were his <em>favourite</em> person anymore.</p><p>
  <em>Pathetic.</em>
</p><p>As hard as he tried, he couldn't get thoughts of Jess out of his mind. He felt stressed, overwhelmed, irritated. He wished she'd never come up. He wished he'd never met her. He wished he'd not be sitting here like a fucking idiot, head in his hands for a solid twenty minutes, alone, frustrated.</p><p>At least there was something he could do about that last wish.</p><p>
  <em>Right, you got this Bobby. Everything is fine. You're fine. Jess is fine. Nothing unusual at all. Get out there.</em>
</p><p>Walking back into the Villa, he could hear the others in the kitchen, so he made his way there, able to see them standing around as he approached.</p><p>Without meaning to - no, seriously, no intention at all - his eyes instantly found Jess. Because <em>of course</em> they did. <em>Idiot.</em></p><p>Standing at the far end of the counter, facing him, she stuck out amongst the rest, almost like he couldn't even <em>see</em> anyone else. Everyone in their evening outfits, perhaps it was the <em>simplicity</em> of hers that made her stand out to him? At least, that's the story he was sticking to. Wearing a muted green dress with off the shoulder puff sleeves, next to no makeup on, her hair flowing beautifully over her shoulders. Jesus Christ. She looked so fucking gorgeous, it hurt.</p><p>In the middle of a conversation with Henrik, her face lit up in laughter, her smile taking over half her face as she gently put her hand on his shoulder; Bobby found himself wondering if she was actually glowing, or if that was just in his head. Everything about her in that moment was kind and gentle, a side of her that she often showed him in between moments of the sass and playfulness that he loved so much.</p><p>As though she sensed him, she turned her head slightly, meeting his eyes. Even in conversation with someone else, it felt like she was giving him all her attention.</p><p>And then she smiled. His favourite smile. As though they shared a secret.</p><p>His steps faltered.</p><p>Involuntarily, images flooded his mind. Of Jess. Of them. So fast, he could barely keep up with any of them.</p><p>Jess flipping Bobby off as she walked away. Play fighting with her during the mud challenge. Holding hands with her on the loungers as they played truth or truth. Jess sitting on the floor by Bobby’s bed, giggling and laughing. The way she looked when he was on his knees, proposing to her in snog, marry, pie. Her laughing as they made cookies together. Jess lying on the bench seat, looking up at him with affection. Her smirking at him over her coffee cup; her head thrown back in laughter at something stupid he said; her secret smiles for him; all the times she’d touched him and made him feel calm and safe.</p><p>All of it overwhelmed him, confusing him. Panic spun a web in his brain, making his heart pound in his ears and pressure build in his chest. </p><p>And <em>shit</em>, it occurred to him that none of his favourite memories had anything to do with the many times he'd been horny around her.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>He was damn near hyperventilating as a thought slammed into him, insistent, refusing to be ignored any longer.</p><p>
  <em>I like her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A lot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I <strong>really</strong> like Jess.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh god, no.</em>
</p><p>Instantly, he recoiled from the idea. He couldn't, he shouldn't, he can't, he won't.</p><p>But no matter how hard he tried to deny it, it wouldn't go away. It was screaming at him. Where had this come from? Had he liked her the whole time? A denial fluttered into his mind, but he knew it was a lie.</p><p>Part of him wanted to turn around and run. Avoid his feelings, avoid having to talk to her, or anyone else for that matter.</p><p>He couldn't get a hold of himself, his heart beating too wildly, his breath coming out too ragged; he had no control over his own body anymore. He blinked, clearing the fog from his eyes and, of course, he saw Jess. She was frowning questioningly at him, tilting her head as she watched him, her eyes felt like they saw right through him.</p><p>
  <em>Shit, is it written on my face? Does she know?</em>
</p><p>Ok, <em>all</em> of him wanted to run now.</p><p>Just as he was about to veer off in another direction, Gary noticed him, “Bobo! Who did you talk to?”</p><p>Everyone turned around to look at him.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Pushing down all his confusing feelings, he put on his clown mask, hoping no one could see through him, “Aye, just some of me mates. Made fer a lot better conversation than yeh lot.”</p><p>Making them all laugh, even though he felt uncomfortable as fuck, eased the pain. Just a little.</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes at him, “Are you ever planning on taking that sash off?”</p><p>He grabbed it as though he was protecting it from her, “Yeh’ll never make me take it off!”</p><p>“You can wear that in bed if you like Bobby,” Priya purred.</p><p>He winked at her banter.</p><p>Gary slapped him on the back, “Get in!” and everyone groaned at the lad.</p><p>Then he accidentally looked at Jess - <em>god, will you stop doing that</em> - finding her smiling warmly at him. He had to look away. She wasn’t even the slightest bit jealous and it stung. Like pouring lemon juice in a paper cut. He wasn't being dramatic either; it hurt <em>that</em> bad.</p><p>That's when he wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Because Bobby, like the absolute moron he was, had a crush on his best friend. And she didn’t like him back.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Bobby pulled out his phone and read the message. <em>Fucking great. </em></p><p>Sighing, he read it out loud, “Islanders, please go to the firepit immediately.”</p><p>Tension filled the air as everyone exchanged nervous glances.</p><p>Was it a little sadistic that he was just a little bit glad everyone else now felt as tense as he did? Probably. Merh. He gave zero fucks.</p><p>Jess gave an awkward laugh and said, “Do not pass go?”</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, we get it Jess; you're funny. Knock it off.</em>
</p><p>Er... ok, he <em>might</em> be in the anger stage right now. Yikes.</p><p>A few people let out small chuckles until Hope added, “Do not collect… fifty thousand pounds?”</p><p>“Oof,” Gary said.</p><p>
  <em>Yup.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gathered around the firepit in their couples, Jess pressed herself into Lucas's side as he wrapped an arm around her waist.</p><p>Though not outwardly nervous, Jess <em>was</em> feeling a little uneasy for the first time. While she both resented and loved being in the Villa, part of her actually wanted to stay this time; a lot for her friends, a little for the possibility of love. Which, if she were being honest, she was starting to think maybe she could be open to the whole idea. It was hard to stay so close minded when everyone here openly talked about it. Maybe it <em>might</em> be something she would want?</p><p>Though, it still scared the shit out of her.</p><p>Either way, being here was softening her up to the idea, and growth was never a bad thing right? She fucking hoped not anyway.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Ibrahim stood up, “Islanders, the public have been voting for their least favourite couples,” there was a collective gasp, “Tonight, the bottom two couples will be at risk of being dumped #publicopinon #whowillstay.”</p><p>As he returned to his seat, Jess cuddled closer to Lucas. If she had to take a guess, Ibrahim and Jo will be in the bottom, and so will her and Lucas.</p><p>The public would have seen the absolute <em>shit show</em> that was their relationship yesterday; they definitely didn’t have the healthiest relationship right now. Lucas had hurt her, and she hadn't even put up that much of a fight to forgive him. </p><p>She wondered what her family would think. Were they disappointed in her? She prided herself on being a strong person, but she no longer felt she lived up to her own standards. Deep down she knew forgiving someone who treated her like Lucas did yesterday wasn’t what she would normally do. Her meekness embarrassed her. And yet, she couldn’t put her finger on why she did, or why she didn't <em>really</em> care that she had. Was she losing herself?</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hannah stood up, gasping as she read the text, “The first couple at risk is Ibrahim and Jo.”</p><p>
  <em>Eh, the gasp is unnecessary Hannah. Literally a shock to no one.</em>
</p><p>Also a shock to no one was Jo glaring at Jess and screaming, “This is all your fault!”</p><p>“Shut up Jo,” Lottie and Henrik both said at the same time, weirdly in sync.</p><p>Holding back the eye roll that was desperate to come out, Jess swallowed her irritation and said, “I’m sorry you’re at risk Jo, you don’t deserve that.”</p><p>She meant it too. She didn't like Jo, but she didn't <em>deserve</em> this.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Jess stood up and looked down at her phone, staring at it while it sunk in. When it did, all the breath went out of her lungs.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. No. Please no. </em>
</p><p>Still, struggling to take a breath, she looked directly at him while she read out, “The second couple at risk is Bobby and Priya.”</p><p>She was barely aware of everyone gasping, but she couldn’t see anything except Bobby. His expression didn’t change at all, but his eyes burned with something she couldn’t put her finger on as he stared back at her.</p><p>Priya threw herself at Bobby and he grabbed her around the waist, gently stroking her back. His eyes never left Jess, and slowly he gave a lopsided smile and said, “It’ll be OK.”</p><p>Jess wasn’t sure if that was for her benefit or Priya’s, but either way, she nodded and took her seat.</p><p>It didn't make any sense to her. Why would the public vote for them? They <em>had</em> to be starting to get close; Bobby said he’d try and they had basically been flirting all day. Besides any of that, they were both fairly popular in the Villa, surely they were with the public too?</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Lottie read out the next text, “Safe Islanders, in your couple, you must now decide which of the two bottom couples is <em>least likely</em> to find love in the Villa. That couple will be dumped from the Island immediately. You have 30 minutes to make your decision. If the results are tied, the couple with the least amount of public votes will be dumped.”</p><p>Still in a bit of a daze, understandably because her best friend was on the chopping block, Jess allowed Lucas to lead her over to the daybeds.</p><p>She was so enthralled with her own thoughts that she hadn’t noticed he looked tense.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. What <strong>now</strong> Lucas?</em>
</p><p>Both sitting on the edge of the bed, he fixed her with an intense stare as he announced, “I think we should vote Bobby and Priya as least likely.”</p><p>“What?” she choked out, mostly because she didn’t expect him to go straight to the punch line.</p><p>
  <em>Jesus. Coulda put in some ground work first.</em>
</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her, “Of <em>course</em> you want to save Bobby.”</p><p>“This isn’t about Bobby.”</p><p>“Yes it is,” he snapped.</p><p>“No. Bobby <em>and Priya</em> are both extremely likely to find love in here. The fact is, Ibrahim has pied off every relationship he’s been in, including his current one. The only reason he’s still with Jo is because she lives in la la land and is pretending it didn’t happen. They both had a shot at finding love in a happy, healthy relationship and failed one hour in. I honestly believe they’re going to struggle a lot harder than Bobby and Priya. Both of them are popular so, if it doesn’t work out with them, they have other options.”</p><p>He scoffed, “Oh like you?”</p><p>She just rolled her eyes; it didn’t even deserve a fucking response.</p><p>“Jo and Ibrahim are in an actual couple. Bobby and Priya aren’t. It’s a no brainer Jess.”</p><p>“How do you know they aren’t? Have you asked them? Either way, they have just as must chance to make it work as anyone else, and honestly, more so than Ibrahim and Jo do.”</p><p>“Do you really believe that, or is this just about you wanting to be with Bobby?”</p><p>“Oh my god Lucas,” she groaned, intensely frustrated now.</p><p>
  <em>Didn’t they have this exact same conversation yesterday?</em>
</p><p>“Why are you so fucking worried about Bobby? What do you not understand here? Ibrahim. Tried. To. Kiss. Me. Not even an HOUR after asking Jo to be his girlfriend. Why aren’t you worried about him and, more to the actual point of this conversation, how does that qualify them as likely to find love?”</p><p>He rolled his eyes, “Because you don’t like Ibrahim; you rejected him. Would you reject Bobby when he eventually makes a move?”</p><p>“It’s a moot point Lucas, because he would never do that.”</p><p>“You can’t be that stupid.”</p><p>“So what is it Lucas? Am I a cheat, a liar, an idiot, or all three? It’s hard to keep track here.”</p><p>“You tell me,” he hissed at her.</p><p>
  <em>Fucking asshole!</em>
</p><p>Taking some much needed deep breaths, she tried desperately to calm down; to temper her anger and think about this logically.</p><p>Unfortunately, it was extremely hard for her to think objectively about the situation. Ok, so Ibrahim and Jo <em>we’re</em> official, <em>but</em> he’d also tried to cheat. Just like he’d slept with Priya and kissed Jo the next day. But... maybe she was just judging them too harshly?</p><p>For the first time in her life, she felt like she couldn’t trust her gut. Was Lucas right? Was all of this just because Bobby was her best friend? It felt extremely likely, considering the burning in her chest at the very <em>idea</em> of him leaving.</p><p>
  <em>Crap.</em>
</p><p>Lucas interrupted her thoughts, his gaze oddly assessing, voice calmer than it was moments ago, “If he left the Villa, would you get over it?”</p><p>“I'd have to.”</p><p>He gave her a look, “Not what I asked.”</p><p>Shrugging, she answered honestly, “I'd miss him.”</p><p>Lucas pressed his mouth together in a tight line, eyes growing distant for a moment as he mulled something over. Without warning, he took out his phone and typed in <em>Ibrahim and Jo,</em> and hit send.</p><p>Meeting the question in her eyes, he shrugged, taking a hand in his, “If it makes you happy.”</p><p>Then he shifted closer, using a hand to tilt her chin up as he closed the distance and kissed her. Jess's instinct was telling her something was wrong with the mood shift, but she couldn't put her finger on why she felt like that. And, being completely honest here, kissing Lucas was far better than fighting with him so, whatever. At this point she didn’t even care anymore.</p><p>When he pulled away, he smiled and tilted his head at her, giving her a thoughtful look, “You’re like my moral compass.”</p><p>“How bad would you be without me?” she teased, much preferring to keep things light-hearted, though not super into bantering right now.</p><p>“As bad as you want me to be,” he whispered in a husky voice.</p><p>Jess hummed in her throat; not really interested in continuing his line of thinking. Seriously, they were about to go watch two people get dumped. <em>Can we not?</em></p><p>“Come on love,” Lucas said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet.</p><p>She let him hold her hand as they walked back over to the firepit, where everyone else was already waiting. Fucking great, they were the last ones.</p><p>As she sat down, she made eye contact with Bobby, who gave her an uncharacteristically small smile. It hurt her heart to see him so unsure. So, obviously, she scrunched up her face, crossed her eyes and poked her tongue out.</p><p>Chuckling lightly, his grin widened into a proper smile and it instantly made her feel better.</p><p>Oh fuck, she’d miss him if he left.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Lottie stood up and read her phone, “The couple dumped from the Island is…”</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Jess jumped as she realised it was her phone. <em>Fuck.</em></p><p>To the group, she rolled her eyes, “Of course they’re going to make me do it.”</p><p>“I’d rather it was from yeh anyway Lass.”</p><p>She huffed but stood up, her body filling with relief as she read the text and she desperately tried not to smile, “Ibrahim and Jo.”</p><p>Immediately Jo burst into a tirade of hate, directed at Jess - because who else - for apparently conspiring to get them kicked off. <em>Ugh. As if I have the time for your shit.</em></p><p>Jess pressed her lips together and looked at the ground, ignoring her and ignoring the urge to run over and hug Bobby and Priya. It wasn’t the time or place. But <em>fuck</em>, did she want to.</p><p>Jo was eventually dragged off upstairs to pack by Hope and Hannah while the rest of the Islanders hugged Ibrahim as silent tears rolled down his face. Fuck.</p><p>She’d changed her mind; this place sucked. She didn't want to stay anymore.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Everyone had said goodbye to Ibrahim and Jo, had a few chit chats and laughs back in the Villa, and were now getting changed for bed. Bobby was avoiding the dressing room chats by sitting by the pool, his bare feet dipping into the cool water.</p><p>Alright, well, <em>maybe</em> avoiding the dressing room wasn't the only reason he was out here.</p><p>Almost getting dumped had him mulling over the question he'd been hoping to avoid for a while, but now was smacking him in the face.</p><p>
  <em>Should I tell Jess?</em>
</p><p>The thing was, he <em>might</em> regret telling her; there was a 50/50 chance it would destroy their friendship. He was a risk taker, but those odds weren't great. And on the flip side, he probably wouldn't regret <em>not</em> telling her. She would find happiness, and if that wasn't with him, did it matter? Honestly? No.</p><p>No matter how many times the arguments circled round and round in his brain, it all came down to one pure and simple fact; he couldn't lose her.</p><p>Besides, his feelings weren’t her burden to bear, so he wouldn’t make her. Especially with how testy Lucas was about their relationship anyway. He didn't want to make things worse.</p><p>So, he wouldn't tell her. At least for now.</p><p>Doing it for the right reasons, didn't make it hurt any less though.</p><p>Hearing footsteps approaching, it was almost bittersweet seeing Jess walking over to him. Like she was both the solution to all his hurt, and the cause of it.</p><p>Especially with how fucking beautiful she looked in the low light, evening outfit still on, bottle of bubbles in each hand.</p><p>Grinning at him, she haphazardly kicked her shoes off, letting them fling on the lawn behind him before dropping down to sit next to him, swinging her legs into the pool and handing him one of the bottles.</p><p>“Sorry Bee, unlike <em>you</em>, I don’t have a secret stash of whiskey, so bubbles it is.”</p><p>He chuckled and took a sip, “Thanks Lass.”</p><p>They sat in silence for a while, just sipping their wine and looking out across the water. It wasn’t exactly an awkward silence; he could tell she was relaxed and comfortable. But <em>his</em> mind was still going a million miles an hour.</p><p>Eventually she turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling with sincerity, “I’m really glad you’re staying.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Of course, you idiot,” she giggled and bumped his shoulder with hers, “Especially because you still owe me French toast.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes, “Ok, that was yer fault. I would have made it if yeh hadn’t already cooked that day.”</p><p>“Hey, I wasn’t accusing you, just making sure you don’t forget.”</p><p>“How could I when yeh reminding me every day?”</p><p>“And yet…” she trailed off, smiling at him, amusement in her eyes.</p><p>He smiled back at her, trying to come up with a joke to say back.</p><p>Instead, for some <em>stupid fucking reason</em>, what came out of his mouth was, “Why don’t you call me babe?”</p><p>
  <em>Fucking idiot.</em>
</p><p>She tilted her head at him, eyes still amused, “What?”</p><p>“You call everyone babe, but never me,” he mumbled, trying not to shift around too much and reveal how awkward he felt.</p><p>She smirked at him, “Do you feel left out?”</p><p>“A little.”</p><p>Fuck. Who gave his mouth permission to say that? It's not even true.</p><p>
  <em>What is wrong with you?</em>
</p><p>She chewed her lip as she thought about it, “I can if you want? Babe is like… it doesn’t mean anything. Like you call everyone Lass right?”</p><p>Shit. He should have seen this coming. Did he? Fuck. He didn’t.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god, you're an even bigger moron than you first thought. Great work.</em>
</p><p>“Um, no…”</p><p>“Oh,” shrugging like it wasn’t a big deal, which was a relief for him, “I just assumed it was an everyone thing…”</p><p>He shrugged too, feigning nonchalance at this whole dumb conversation he started.</p><p>
  <em>Dumbass.</em>
</p><p>Whoever had control of his mouth right now was really fucking things up for him.</p><p>After a few moments she slowly said, “So… why <em>do</em> you call me Lass?”</p><p>“Yer cool.”</p><p>
  <em>Well that, and I like you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Apparently, I always have but I just found out today so… yup, you're cool Jess.</em>
</p><p>Jess almost blinded him with her self-satisfied grin.</p><p>“Ugh, don’t let it go to yer head.”</p><p>“Too late,” she sing-songed.</p><p>“I take it back.”</p><p>“Can’t. It’s on TV now and everything. When we get out of here, I’ll make a gif of it and send it to you every day to remind you,” she giggled and imitated his accent, “Yer cool. Yer cool. Yer cool.”</p><p>“Shut up,” he huffed, though he couldn’t hold back a smile at her stupid imitation of a gif.</p><p>Giggling, she went to take another sip, then paused, exclaiming, “Oh! I call you Bee!”</p><p>“That’s because yer too lazy tae say my name. An initial does nae count.”</p><p>She laughed, “No, like B.E.E.”</p><p>“Because I sting? Not really a compliment there Lass.”</p><p>“No Bobby,” she chastised, “Bees are cool. They’re like these little things who you would assume are unimportant, but they’re responsible for 80% of pollination. Without them, we’d all die. I dunno… I guess I think of you like that.”</p><p>“Without me everyone would die? I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.”</p><p>“Ha! No, like, you’re the most important thing. You know, in the Villa… like, to me…” she trailed off for a moment and he tried really hard to get his heart beat in check; to tamp down the annoying fluttering in his gut.</p><p>
  <em>She doesn't mean it how you want her to mean it.</em>
</p><p>Furrowing her brow, she continued, “Wow, that sounds really melty hearing it out loud. I swear I didn’t think <em>that</em> hard about it, it just popped into my head one day.”</p><p>“Yeah, that was really melty,” he teased automatically.</p><p>“Don’t be a dick.”</p><p>With a chuckle, he imitated her earlier statement, “I’ll make a gif and send it to yer every day.”</p><p>“That would make the <em>worst</em> gif ever, and you know it.”</p><p>He tapped her shoulder with his and gave her a smug smile, “Awww… yer just upset because people are going to know yer a big old softy.”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>Both smiling, they turned to look out at the view, clinking their bottles as they sipped their drinks. The silence felt much more comfortable for Bobby now. Despite his stupid, idiotic crush on her, nothing had changed between them, and that made him feel more relief than when he found out he was staying in the Villa. Plus, something about her being near him made him feel calm, like it would all work out in the end. Even if he did leave here as a pathetic pining idiot.</p><p>Which was a high posibility.</p><p>But one he was coming to terms with.</p><p>Eventually she turned to look at him again, giving him a sweet smile as she asked, “So how was your call?”</p><p>“It was so good to talk tae my friends,” he sighed, “This place is intense, I was starting tae get in my head a lot. I feel like I have nae been my best self so it was a nice reminder of who I am.”</p><p>“Oh, you mean you’re not this annoying in real life? Sign me up for that Bobby!”</p><p>“Har har, so funny,” he rolled his eyes.</p><p>She giggled, “Get any gossip?”</p><p>“Nah not really.”</p><p>“Lame,” she complained.</p><p>“Not that yeh need yer ego stroked more, but they did say yeh were a great catch.”</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Welp, I instantly regret saying that.</em>
</p><p>“Just for that, we’ll keep Jonno on the team huh?” she winked suggestively.</p><p>“Aye, he’d like that... So would I,” he wiggled his eyebrows at her.</p><p>“Ugh. Get that look off your face, I am not fulfilling your Eiffel tower dreams.”</p><p>He had just taken a sip and choked on it a little, “Fuck Jess. Just when I think yer this high-class woman, yeh come out with shit like that.”</p><p>“Piss off. No one thinks of me as high-class. The first thing I did in this Villa was tell Gary he’d have to wait until after the recoupling to fuck me.”</p><p>“Oh, speaking of, he told me to tell yeh he’s still waiting,” he bantered.</p><p>“Weird… Pretty sure I already fulfilled that promise…” she tapped her chin, pretending to be in deep thought about it.</p><p>“Maybe he forgot because yeh such a shit lay.”</p><p>Jess made a gasping, choking sound and looked at him with wide eyes, “Fucking rude Bobby!” she squawked, her mouth agape.</p><p>He started cracking up laughing; he couldn’t help it. She was sitting there, looking like a fish as she opened and closed her mouth, her eyes flickering through emotions as though she couldn’t decide if she was amused or offended or impressed. Honestly, it was probably the funniest thing he’s ever witnessed, and it made him laugh even harder.</p><p>He could <em>not</em> believe that he had shocked Jess Miller to the point where she couldn’t think of a single comeback. If he was being truthful, he felt incredibly proud of himself in that moment.</p><p>“I have never been more insulted in my life,” she said in an incredulous, almost wondrous, tone as she continued to stare at him while he laughed.</p><p>A small smile tugged at her lips and he could tell that she was trying to fight it off.</p><p>And that's when he realised <em>that</em> is exactly why he liked her so much. Because he could sit there and say something so incredibly rude to her, and she was partially amused by it, not even a little bit angry.</p><p>Maybe his ma was right.</p><p>Once he’d calmed down, wiping the tears from his eyes, he put his arm around her for a brief hug and ignoring how touching her made him feel, “Fuck – that was funny – sorry Lass, I’m sure yeh not <em>that</em> bad.”</p><p>She let out a huff of amusement, “Well you’re never going to find out now. But Jonno still might…”</p><p>“Yev never met him; could be a dog.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t matter as long as he’s called ‘Big' Jonno for more than one reason,” she winked dramatically.</p><p>He chuckled, “Oh, he’d love to hear yeh say that.”</p><p>“Lucky, he can,” she laughed, turning to look directly at the camera that was mounted discreetly on a post behind her, “Save it to your wank bank and replay it anytime you like Jay-Jay!” she winked and did finger guns at the camera.</p><p>He let out a full belly laugh, and this time, she joined in, resting her palm on his shoulder lightly as they both tried to get hold of themselves. And he tried to ignore the awareness flowing through him. Or the way his heart kicked up.</p><p>When she calmed down, she smiled warmly at him; the smile that always made his breath catch.</p><p>He was in so much fucking trouble with her.</p><p>Clearly completely unaware, she said, “Should we go back in?”</p><p>Nodding his agreement, they both stood, put their bottles down and walked to the Villa, picking up Jess's shoes on the way.</p><p>“Thanks fer the chat, Jess.”</p><p>She smiled and affectionately said, “Talking to you is never time wasted.”</p><p>“It’s grafting time wasted,” he quipped.</p><p>“Oh my god, I’ve never grafted in my life! It’s all banter. Can’t take me seriously at all,” she laughed, “But I guess it is for you, seeing as I’m like your sister or whatever,” she added, her tone a little flat.</p><p>
  <em>Fuuuuuccccck.</em>
</p><p>He'd completely forgotten he’d said that. Clearly she hadn’t. Of course she hadn’t. She just <em>had</em> to remember fucking everything didn't she?</p><p>Panic gripped him. Should he tell her? It would be super fucking weird. What would he even say? </p><p>God, but he didn’t want her going around thinking he wasn’t attracted to her. He was <em>more</em> than attracted to her. Fuck.</p><p>
  <em>Shit, shit, shit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>God this is going to be fucking painful.</em>
</p><p>As Jess reached for the handle that led to the foyer, he blurted out, “I don’t.”</p><p>She stopped, tilting her head as she studied his face, “You don’t what?”</p><p>
  <em>Shit. Ok. I mean, you've already started, just do it.</em>
</p><p>Trying to act casual, despite how his cheeks reddened, he shrugged, “See you like a sister.”</p><p>“Oh,” she frowned for a moment and then smirked, “Are you saying you're attracted to me McKenzie?”</p><p>For a split second, he almost denied it. But then, he just thought, fuck it.</p><p>“Yeah, I am.”</p><p>The seconds it took for her to respond felt like years; each one that ticked by making him feel like he was going to be sick.</p><p>And then she let out a small laugh, “Cool, same.”</p><p>“Same?”</p><p>His brain felt like static; just a loud buzzing tone.</p><p>“Yup,” she said casually, finally opening the Villa door and walking inside.</p><p>Walking in behind her, he grabbed her arm to stop her, “Wait, hold up, <em>yer</em> attracted to <em>me?”</em></p><p>Jess rolled her eyes like she was exasperated, “Yeah, you're hot. Honestly, what is wrong with you?”</p><p>
  <em>I'm hot? Jess thinks I'm hot?</em>
</p><p>He wasn't sure what response he expected from her, but it certainly wasn't that. And especially not spoken so casually, like he should already know. Look, he wasn't stupid - well, he was sometimes but that's beside the point - he <em>knew</em> girls thought he was good looking; you don't pull like he did if it weren't true. The bit that had him stumped is that he had assumed <em>Jess</em> didn't agree. It was kind of <em>great</em> to be wrong. He was glad he'd already stepped through the door, not sure if his head would fit anymore.</p><p>Unfortunately, his face must have given away his thoughts, because Jess burst out into giggles, “You’re an idiot, you know that right?”</p><p>“Aye, but yeh still think I'm hot,” he teased, finding confidence from god knows where. Probably from that one time she told him he was hot.</p><p>She rolled her eyes even harder than earlier, “Cocky shit.”</p><p>“Oi,” he growled.</p><p>Grinning, she took off up the stairs, while he chased after her, both giggling quietly so they didn’t annoy the others.</p><p>Fuck. What he would give to have a million more moments with her, just like this, awkward chat and all.</p><p>And, well, for her to tell him she thought he was hot again.</p><p>Because his ego definitely wanted more stroking.</p><p>Though, if she <em>were</em> going to be stroking something...</p><p>
  <em>Alright McKenzie, let's at least <strong>try</strong> to keep this PG.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jesus Christ.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess was <em>obviously</em> called to the Beach Hut, because oh boy, did the producers have dirt on her today. Whatever, she saw it coming a mile away. So predictable.</p><p><strong>Why did you help Bobby in the competition today?</strong> Shrugging, she said, “Eh, Bobby's good crack, I'll happily help him with anything, plus, did you see how happy he looked? Anyone would think he'd won the freaking lottery.”</p><p><strong>Why did you choose to dump Ibrahim and Jo?</strong> “I think that's fairly obvious, come on.”</p><p><strong>Things seemed tense with Lucas earlier, how do you feel about him?</strong> Jess paused, looking at her lap for a moment, kind of unsure what to say. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I am starting to worry that Lucas is too jealous for me to handle. It's just... I can't spend all my time here reassuring him. I still like him and I want to continuing seeing where things go, but it's hard to know for sure right now.”</p><p><strong>How did you feel about Bobby saying he's attracted to you?</strong> “Well,” she said dramatically, “I'll tell you what, I feel pretty fucking validated, that's for sure. It's nice to know I'm not the only one, so, yeah it's cool.”</p><p><strong>Could something happen there?</strong> “Look, Bobby is great but I don't want to be with him, so, no.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Whatever, you just want to kiss me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Me: Dear Mr McKenzie, now you've figured out what we've all known since the start, may I request you sack up and tell Jess how you feel?</p><p>Bobby: Oh sure, since you asked so nicely. Perhaps between me freaking the fuck out, another lame bet, snogging and intense drama? Eh, probably won't though.</p><p>Me: Wait. Did you say snogging?</p><p>Bobby: *taps nose*</p><p>Me: Alright, @!$%face, you better not be messing with me or else!</p><p>Bobby: What? You gonna kill me off? Ha!</p><p>Me: Don't tempt me 🗡🗡🗡</p><p>--</p><p>I don't know what ^^ was. Got a bit carried away. My bad.</p><p>Hold onto your hats (Also, if you're not wearing one, go <i>get</i> a fucking hat. Right now. I'll wait). It's gonna be a wild ride because Jess &amp; Bobby FUCK SHIT UP.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bobby woke up slowly, the sounds of Noah snoring vibrating through the bedroom, filtering in his subconscious. Opening his eyes, he found himself facing an asleep Priya. Try as he might, he just didn’t have the willpower to stop his thoughts from immediately wandering to an alternate reality where it was Jess there instead.</p><p>Ugh. These feelings <em>had</em> to go. </p><p>It had been less than 24 hours and he was already over this stupid pining bullshit. Until last night, his constant thoughts about Jess were a mild annoyance, or sometimes kind of funny to him. Now, he realised they were just desperate and embarrassing. Goddamn it.</p><p>
  <em> Where was blissful ignorance when you needed it? </em>
</p><p>Deciding he was already fucking awake, he figured he may as well get up. Maybe he’d make breakfast for everyone; seeing as catering served the same shit every day.</p><p>That was normal right? Nothing to do with Jess. He <em>wasn’t</em> making fucking French toast, that’s for sure. Nope, no chance.</p><p>He quietly got up, showered, changed into a pair of black board shorts, and tiptoed into the garden. The sun was just coming up so he figured he had a little less than an hour before everyone else was up too. He loved the early mornings; before everyone had gotten up.</p><p>But, sadly today was not his day. As he rounded the corner towards the kitchen, he found that Jess was there already. Of course. Who else but the very girl he was trying not to think about?</p><p>It was as though someone was deliberately trying to torture him.</p><p>And, of course, she looked stunning, even if he couldn’t see her face from this angle. Her hair slightly damp and hanging low over her shoulders, wearing high-waisted denim shorts and a loose fitted yellow crop top with spaghetti straps criss-crossing over her back. It was unusual to see her in normal clothes, and his mind accidentally drifted off to thoughts of them together in the real world.</p><p>The redness on her back had faded into a tan, making her skin slightly darker today. When he’d first met her, her skin reminded him of the white sand on a beach back home, now it reminded him of sand in the Sahara dessert. He wasn’t sure which he liked more. Let’s be honest, he liked both. He liked her, whatever way she came.</p><p>
  <em>Jesus Christ.</em>
</p><p>He was a fucking melt for her and he hated himself for it, just a little bit. Okay, a lot. He begged himself to just stop, but he couldn't.</p><p>She was clearly listening to music he couldn't hear; dancing around stupidly in the kitchen, but it wasn't until he got closer that he could finally hear the song; <em>Man, I feel like a woman</em>. A classic.</p><p>Bobby stopped walking, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk. He <em>did</em> feel a little creepy, standing there, watching her, <em>but</em> if she turned around slightly, she would see him. It wasn’t like he was hiding in the bushes. He just didn’t want to interrupt her little jam session.</p><p>Absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was being adorable right now. Or that she was incredibly sexy. Or that his heart ached a little because he wanted her to be his.</p><p>Nope, none of those reasons.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. This is the worst.</em>
</p><p>Then the song hit the guitar break and Bobby had to throw his hand over his mouth to stop from laughing out loud. She started doing the absolute craziest air guitar he had ever seen. At one point, she put a foot up on the side of the cabinet, back to him, moving her hands low between her legs, still strumming a fake guitar. Hilariously badly.</p><p>As the chorus came back on, Jess turned around to face him at the same time the music paused on ‘fun’. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at seeing him there.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>Gratefully, he didn't have to suffer his mini panic for too long; almost instantaneously she grinned and pointed at him as she continued to sing and dance for a few seconds, directly to him, and giving him a look as though he should join in.</p><p>Honestly, what the fuck else was he going to do? Join in. Obviously.</p><p>Bouncing over, he started belting out the lyrics and dancing idiotically, the two of them bopping around like morons. He loved every moment. Her face was so full of joy, his chest ached. He wanted her to look like that all the time. He would give anything to keep her looking like that.</p><p>All good things must end, and soon the song was over, leaving them both slightly breathless, laughing. </p><p>Once they'd calmed down, Jess smiled up at him as she tied her hair up into a bun, eyes bright and sparkling. His favourite look of hers. Or, one of them at least. Despite this, he still had to <em>force</em> himself to keep staring at her eyes, and not look at the way her top lifted up as she moved her hands in her hair, exposing more of her gorgeous waist. God, he wanted to trail his fingers across her skin.</p><p>Smirking, she hit pause on the music - they were only allowed to listen to their phones if no conversation was happening - and said, “Wow Bee, you know all the words huh? I didn't know you were Shaina’s biggest fan.”</p><p>He scoffed, “Oh, like yeh can talk.”</p><p>Her smirk widened as she picked up a bowl that was sitting on the counter, starting to whisk it, “Yeah, but I actually feel like a woman most of the time, so what's your excuse?”</p><p>“I feel woman,” he quipped, wiggling his eyebrows.</p><p>Jess let out a little snort, smiling to herself as she turned her attention to whatever it was she was mixing together.</p><p>“What are yeh making?”</p><p>“Pancakes!”</p><p>He eyed her for a moment, and, mostly to be a shit, said, “Hmmm… yer mixing it wrong.”</p><p>Her eyes narrowed immediately, “No, I’m fucking not.”</p><p>“Aye yeh are,” he said in a sing-song voice that made her eyes narrow even further and he had to hold back a chuckle.</p><p>In a low hiss she said, “Are you challenging me McKenzie?”</p><p>Yes! One hundred percent he was down for a pancake battle.</p><p>To be fair, he'd challenge her at literally <em>anything</em>. Despite knowing there's a 90% chance he'd lose - if past performance was any indicator.</p><p>Forcing his excitement down, he asked casually, “Depends, what will I get if I win?”</p><p>“The question is, what will I get when <em>you lose?”</em></p><p>Bobby laughed, walking over to start grabbing the items he’d need and putting on his apron so his chest was covered. Hot oil on bare skin was a mistake you only made once.</p><p>“We dinnae need tae figure that out; never gonna happen.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes before concentrating on whisking and adding milk to adjust the consistency, and he got his batch started.</p><p>His mind raced. The idea of suggesting a kiss popped into his mind. Oh fuck, he wanted to kiss her so fucking bad. But the idea was a little overwhelming. Already he was sweating bullets about it. Also, kind of a weird thing to suggest right? Yeah. For sure. Super fucking weird.</p><p>Ok, what else? Something normal.</p><p>Suddenly, she said, “I want a slave for a day.”</p><p>“Are yeh serious?” he asked, wondering what exactly she'd make him do if he lost. To be honest, he wouldn't mind losing, just so he could find out.</p><p>“Completely.”</p><p>“Great, same goes for you,” he lifted one foot up to her face, “These piggies need massaging.”</p><p>Laughing, she took a step further from him and chastised, “This is <em>exactly</em> why everyone thinks you have a foot fetish.”</p><p>“Oh shut up.”</p><p>Her face turned serious, “Right, rules. Everyone has to try both and vote.”</p><p>“Agreed,” he said, concentrating on measuring his flour.</p><p>“Obviously, toppings have to be shared, this is about pancakes only.”</p><p>“Fair.”</p><p>“And, lastly, we have to start cooking at the same time, and pretty much as soon as you’re done whisking yours, cause I’m hungry.”</p><p>“Deal,” he said, holding his hand out for her to shake.</p><p>She narrowed his eyes as she took his hand, tugging it slightly so he was forced to take a step closer. Her face was so close he could see the different shades of blue in her eyes and he could smell her delicious vanilla cocoa butter moisturiser. Not that he was distracted by those things.</p><p>In a low voice she said, “If you make this bet, you can’t back out like you did with frenchtoast-gate.”</p><p>“God Jess, ten minutes into the day. That’s a new record for yeh mentioning it.” </p><p>God he loved teasing her about this. He kind of felt bad that he still hadn’t followed through, but it was worth it every time.</p><p>She let go of his hand, scoffing at him while she crossed her arms over her chest, “Because you still owe me McKenzie!”</p><p>“I can make it now if yeh want?” he raised an eyebrow. </p><p>She gave him a sly smile, “Already trying to get out of this bet Bee? Scared I might actually win?”</p><p>“Piss off Lass. Yeh haven’t got a hope in hell.”</p><p>She laughed and skipped over to put her mix in the fridge, “Oh really? Well, all I know is that you’re currently behind, which means I have time to rest my batter.”</p><p>His mouth dropped open, though he wasn’t sure why he was surprised. Jess was far too smart for her own fucking good. And apparently for his too. <em> Goddamn it </em>. </p><p>“Why dae I feel like I’ve been tricked?”</p><p>She shrugged, “Probably because you have.”</p><p>He grumbled unhappily to himself while she giggled and got started on making toppings. They agreed they’d have three options: bacon, grilled bananas and maple syrup; lemon and sugar, and chocolate sauce and strawberries. The first being her favourite and the latter being his. It was agreed that whoever chose lemon and sugar was a basic bitch and they would silently judge them for their own personal entertainment.</p><p>As they both worked away it occurred to him for the first time that they <em>always</em> worked really well together in the kitchen. Right from the first day, when they'd made omelettes.</p><p>It wasn’t something he’d ever really thought that hard about before, but now that he was, it made butterflies flutter slightly in his chest. He could imagine them doing this everyday in real life; bantering in the kitchen. It was like she was the perfect girl for him. How had it taken him this long to notice? Would she ever think of him like that; that he was perfect for her? Was he?</p><p>When they started on cooking, they stood side by side at the cooktop, operating separate pans. After putting the mix in the pan, Jess had added blueberries to her pancakes as they cooked. He maintained that was cheating, but she said it was <em> in </em> the pancake and not a topping so therefore was allowed.</p><p>He had a very love/hate relationship with the way she always seemed to one up him. On national TV no less. He imagined his mates would be getting a massive kick out of this. Such bullshit.</p><p>The only silver lining was that he could flip pancakes without a spatula, and she couldn’t.</p><p>Less of a silver lining, more of the greatest thing that had ever happened. He got <em>enormous</em> joy out of watching her try and fail.</p><p>The best was when she threw the pancake straight towards her own face, causing uncooked batter to fly into her hair and the wall behind her before the half-cooked pancake slid down and landed at her feet.</p><p>She looked up at him, her face full of surprise and they both stood there for a few seconds in shocked silence. Then, they burst out laughing, gripping onto each other as they desperately tried to gasp for air and calm down. But every time he tried, he’d look at her again, with white pancake batter smeared into her hair and over her cheeks and he would just start all over again and so would she.</p><p>God, she was his dream girl.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>When Jess had woken up this morning, she’d been plagued with doubts about her decisions so far in the Villa. Namely, Lucas.</p><p>Making pancakes for everyone had been step three in her plan to get herself out of her spiral (after some pampering and a coffee, of course). Little did she know that all she <em>actually</em> needed had been a little dance and some light banter with one Bobby McKenzie.</p><p>One by one, the other Islanders came down, all lighting up at the news that they were being treated to pancakes. Ravenous beasts; the lot of them.</p><p>Everything was great.</p><p>Until it wasn’t.</p><p>At this point, she really should have seen it coming but for some reason, she didn’t.</p><p><em>Obviously</em> Lucas was going to be pissed about this.</p><p>
  <em> You dumbass. Fuckity fuck. Why do you keep doing this?</em>
</p><p>She honestly felt like facepalming as Lucas immediately pulled her aside once he'd heard about the bet. Why did she always forget? Why was he so fucking jealous? Was she not allowed to have fun? Could she really put up with this for the rest of her time here? She had kind of reached her limit. She was just so… tired.</p><p>An unreadable expression on his face, Lucas quietly sighed, “Does this bet mean you’re basically going to spend all day with Bobby?”</p><p>“Not <em> all </em> day but, um, I <em> am </em> going to follow through…”</p><p>
  <em> Please don’t make this a big deal. </em>
</p><p>Lucas frowned briefly before his jaw set into a determined line, “Alright. As long as you agree to be <em> my </em>slave later.”</p><p>
  <em> Wait what? Is he really cool with this? </em>
</p><p>Releasing a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding, she smiled cautiously, “Er, well, you’ll have to lose a bet for that.”</p><p>Smirking, he wrapped his arms around her waist, murmuring in her ear, “I’m sure I can think of something.”</p><p>A shiver went down her spine at the feel of his hot breath on her, “I have no doubt you will…” she said, her voice husky.</p><p>Shit. She could get used to this chill Lucas. <em>This</em> is the Lucas she wanted to be with. The one she'd wanted from when he'd first walked into the Villa.</p><p>With a smug chuckle, he lowered his lips to hers, moving his lips slowly and teasingly across hers, as though he had all the time in the world for her. Her body hummed at the unexpected contact; she didn’t think he’d ever kissed her like this before. She was a fan.</p><p>Before she could drag him closer and deepen it, he let her go, pressing his lips to her forehead, “I’m rooting for you.”</p><p>At this point you could have knocked her over with a light breeze.</p><p>No random outburst or accusations, sweet, indulgent kisses, <em> and </em> his backing in the bet? </p><p>
  <em>Well. Fuck.</em>
</p><p>She didn’t know how to respond, instead she just gave him an appreciative smile and trailed her fingers down his back. </p><p>Groaning low in his throat, Lucas shifted his thumbs to brush the exposed skin on her back, sending a bolt of awareness through her. She pressed herself closer into his body, revelling in the feeling of his hard chest against hers, wanting more. Slowly, teasingly, he ran his hands down her body, cupping her ass in his hands and using it as leverage to pull her harder against him.</p><p>Finding the shell of her ear again, he whispered, “Let’s continue this later.”</p><p>Then, untangling himself from her, he stalked off towards the pool, leaving her standing there, kind of confused, but <em>definitely</em> into it.</p><p>
  <em> Well. Shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Okay Lucas. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Having made enough pancakes to feed a small army - because the Islanders were freaking leeches - and surveying said army; they only had one Islander left to ask; Lottie.</p><p>Jess was feeling pretty confident about her chances, even if Bobby was <em>technically</em> in the lead by one point.</p><p>It's fine that he was slightly ahead. It didn't bother her. She had this. Especially considering she'd got Bobby to agree that Lottie would have two points; enough to tip the scales either way and avoid a tie. And <em>if</em> that gave her a rigged opportunity to win, that's not <em>her</em> fault. The moron agreed after all.</p><p>So here they both were; standing in front of their judge and executioner, as she relaxed on the sun loungers, deliberating her verdict.</p><p>Lottie was dragging the whole thing out, tilting her head and tapping her chin, deep in thought as she carefully re-tasted both pancakes, over and over again.</p><p>Normally Jess would roll her eyes at the ridiculous display, but she was trying to get her on-side. She did <em>not</em> want to be Bobby’s slave for a day and the longer she stood there waiting, the more she was regretting this whole stupid bet.</p><p>
  <em> God. Why do I have to let Bobby get to me all the time? </em>
</p><p>“Lottie, yeh look soooo gorgeous today,” Bobby cooed at her.</p><p>
  <em> Pfft. Flattery? Weak tactic Bee. </em>
</p><p>Jess had the friend card. Which she was currently trying to play subtly by widening her eyes, staring at Lottie pointedly, and concentrating on sending her a telepathic signal to choose her.</p><p>
  <em> Lottie, we're friends, remember? </em>
</p><p><em> Lottie!  </em> <em> Read my mind. Choose me. </em></p><p>Look, she didn’t really believe this would work, but hey, she’d try anything. This was <em>her</em> win. Bobby was <em>not</em> going to take this from her.</p><p>Lottie studied her for a long moment, looking directly into her eyes as she smirked and said, “Yeah, Bobby wins this one.”</p><p>“Fuck off!”</p><p>
  <em>Complete and utter bullshit!</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shit. Fuck. Crap. Ugh. Fuck!<br/></em>
</p><p>Bobby spun around and gave her the biggest, most self-satisfied grin she had ever seen on his face before. If she wasn’t so pissed right now, she might have found it cute.</p><p>Clearly intent on rubbing his win in, he proceeded to do an elaborate victory dance, chanting, <em> “My pancakes are better,” </em> over and over while she rolled her eyes and groaned.</p><p>“What the hell Loz?”</p><p>Lottie shrugged, “His pancakes were better.”</p><p>“Not the point,” she grumbled.</p><p><em> Ugh, why are you even friends with her again? </em>If you can't exploit your friendships to win stupid bets, what are they good for?</p><p>Alright, she might be a <em>bit</em> salty.</p><p>Eventually calming down, Bobby walked back over, holding an arm dramatically to his forehead as he whined, “Oh Jess! I’m so tired from all this winning, I need some water tae cool down, if <em>only</em> I had a slave tae help me.”</p><p>
  <em> Fucking shithead. </em>
</p><p>The idea had formed in her head before she was really aware of it and suddenly, she grabbed him around his thighs, lifting him from the ground. </p><p>“Oi Lass!” Bobby yelled out, still kind of laughing, and gripping onto her shoulders for dear life. </p><p>Fuck he was heavy. Though she refused to admit she was struggling to hold him.</p><p>Moving quickly, she took the few steps to the edge of the pool and threw him in. Or, well, kind of dropped him in.</p><p>It <em>would</em> have been amazing. But of course it didn’t quite work out as well as she’d hoped. Bobby still had a tight grip on her shoulders and, smirking, he used his leverage to drag her in after him. She barely had time to really appreciate what an awful idea this whole thing had been before she fell into the pool. In her fucking jean shorts.</p><p>
  <em> Goddamn it. </em>
</p><p>Reaching the surface, they were both laughing. Watching Bobby try to give her a serious look made it extra funny.</p><p>“You aren’t allowed to throw me in the pool today! You have to be nice to me; it’s one of my requests!” he whined.</p><p>“Oh, sorry <em> master</em>, you just said you needed water,” she threw her arms out as if she had delivered and was proud of it.</p><p>And, while she wasn’t proud of ending up in herself, she <em> was </em> happy she threw Bobby in. Worth it. Her soul source of entertainment around here was annoying him.</p><p>“Yeh are such a shit Lass,” he laughed, “But I ‘ave to admit, calling me master is kinda hot, so I’ll let it slide.”</p><p>Grimacing she said, “Cherish it; that’s the last time I’ll ever call you that.”</p><p>“Nope, I demand it,” he told her, a challenging look in his eyes.</p><p>“You wouldn’t.”</p><p>
  <em> Don’t even think about it McKenzie. </em>
</p><p>“Oh, we both knae I would.”</p><p><em> No. Absolutely not. I will </em> <strong><em>not</em> </strong> <em> call you master. </em></p><p>Jess found herself in a staring competition with Bobby, both of them narrowing their eyes at each other and daring the other to crack first. There was no fucking way Jess was losing this one. She refused.</p><p>After several minutes of silence between them, Bobby finally threw his hands in the air, sighing loudly, “Fiiinnneee. Got an alternative?”</p><p>“Dickface?”</p><p>“I’ll accept Daddy,” he wiggled his eyebrows.</p><p>She made gagging noises in her throat.</p><p>“King?”</p><p>“Can’t use that, I’m not your queen Bee,” she laughed at her own joke while Bobby rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>She scoffed, “You know you’re missing a super obvious one, right?”</p><p>Bobby frowned at her, clearly trying to figure out what she was talking about and coming up blank.</p><p>Giving him a look as though she thought he was stupid, which, he was, she said, “Captain.”</p><p>Honestly, it was the least hateful idea she could come up with.</p><p>“Oh yeah! That’s great! I’m into it, let’s dae that,” he said, his face lit up, and she had to hold back a smile.</p><p>“Your wish is my command, Cap’n McKenzie,” she tried to use the sweetest, least sarcastic voice she could and hated every second of it.</p><p>His eyes sparkled in amusement as he watched her, clearly enjoying the fact that she was not happy about this, “Today is going tae be great Lass! First on the agenda is that foot massage.”</p><p>She started to groan but cut herself off when he gave her an admonishing look.</p><p>Tamping down her ire, she went for a fake smile instead, “No problem Captain. Meet on the daybeds in an hour or so? I gotta get changed.”</p><p>“Fiiinnneee, I guess that’s allowed.”</p><p>“Your generosity is much appreciated,” she said with such mock reverence, Bobby cackled.</p><p>Just as she was getting out of the pool Bobby called out to her, “Oh slave! I need yeh to push me closer to the edge, can’t be arsed swimming.”</p><p>Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile and swam over to him. </p><p>
  <em> Today was going to be the fucking worst.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Bobby was fucking stoked. To put it mildly. Not <em>just</em> because he won the bet. Nope, it was because he had a pre-made excuse to spend all day with Jess.</p><p>God he loved spending time with her.</p><p>And yeah, there was still the matter of his annoying little crush, but he’d figured that was a problem for future Bobby. Right now, he’d just enjoy it.</p><p>And she was rising to the challenge.</p><p>When he’d met her on the daybeds an hour ago, she had an assortment of items with her and had welcomed him to ‘Jess’s Villa Spa’ before giving him a robe and some cut up cucumber rounds to put over his eyes.</p><p>She had soaked his feet in warm water, rubbed some sort of sugar-scrub on him, massaged his feet and legs, and clipped and filed his nails. Now, he was lying on the daybed, propped up against the headboard, Jess cross-legged at his feet, while she painted his toe nails a bright purple.</p><p>He might have protested more - or, well, <em>at all</em> - but he was a fucking pushover when it came to her. He had even picked out the colour. Yup.</p><p>It seemed a fitting punishment that he would now have purple toes as a reminder of how pathetic he was.</p><p>And <em>god</em>, the way she was happily concentrating on her task was not helping him at all. Not to mention the fact that she'd changed into a red two piece that had frills on the arms and a big bow in the middle of the top. It was both sexy and cute; a look she always pulled off so effortlessly.</p><p>The whole picture of her sitting at his feet like this was driving him crazy.</p><p>“All done!” she announced suddenly and he sent out a silent <em>'thank you'</em> to whoever was listening.</p><p>Lifting his foot so he could get a better look, he commented, “Huh, does nae look too bad.”</p><p>“What? Did you think I’d make a mess of it?”</p><p>“A little, yeah, as payback for how badly I painted yers.”</p><p>“I would never! I <em>really</em> need some good yelp reviews,” she joked.</p><p>“Ah. Well I’ll be sure tae write one when we get out.”</p><p>“Thanks. I only came on the show to promote my toe painting empire so, that means a lot.”</p><p>“Well, I only came on tae promote my foot modelling career, so today was a win fer both of us,” he teased.</p><p>She grinned and crawled up the bed, plopping herself down so she was laying on her back, head on the pillows by his hip, “So what you’re saying is… we’re made for each other?”</p><p>To hide how uncomfortable that statement made him, he chuckled quietly.</p><p>He wanted to say yes. Tell her they should find out. Ask her if her hip touching his leg made her heart stutter too. Find out if she couldn’t stop thinking about him. See if there were any chance for them.</p><p>Instead, he let the silence linger.</p><p>Until he couldn’t take it anymore.</p><p>“I’m hungry,” he whined.</p><p>Immediately she got to her knees on the bed next to him, putting on a mock dutiful expression, “Right away Captain. What shall I make thee to stave off your imminent starvation?”</p><p>Even though he could tell she was being incredibly sarcastic, he didn’t pull her up on it. She was just so fucking adorable. And, well, he couldn’t deny it was sexy as fuck; having her cater to his every whim. If they were in a couple, he knew <em>exactly</em> what whims he’d be asking her to cater to right now. She <em>was</em> already on her knees.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. Stop thinking like that. </em>
</p><p>Clearing his throat, and his mind, he said, “I feel like a sandwich.”</p><p>“Your wish is my command,” she chirped happily, getting to her feet.</p><p>Oh, no, happiness at following his requests was <em>not</em> what he wanted.</p><p>“Wait,” he called, then very purposefully launched into an intense monologue describing exactly what sandwich he wanted using precise measurements and thicknesses.</p><p>With every word he spoke, she struggled more and more to keep the smile on her face. Fists clenched at her sides, eyes narrowing to slits and her jaw locking in annoyance. Oh, the satisfaction he felt in the moment. He didn’t mean a word of it, and they both knew it, but seeing her battle with herself to not clock him one for it was the most fun he’d ever had.</p><p>“Sure,” she said, rather deadpanned, and spun on her heel, stalking off in the direction of the kitchen. </p><p>“I will be inspecting yer work,” he called out after her.</p><p>She did a little half curtsy but didn’t turn back around.</p><p>Fuck, she was so cute sometimes.</p><p>He needed help. Like, professional help. Surely the ache in his chest will get better right? He wasn’t going to spend the rest of his life like this right?</p><p>Even knowing he shouldn’t, he still found himself absentmindedly watching her as she pottered around the kitchen, and once again, he lost himself in his thoughts. About Jess. Obviously. He had a one track mind today and it was irritating as fuck.</p><p>
  <em> God. You’re such a fucking idiot. </em>
</p><p>He was so distracted that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt the bed dip. Spinning his head, he found Lottie perched at the end of the bed, smirking knowingly at him.</p><p>“So…”</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. I can’t deal with her today. </em>
</p><p>Sighing, he raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t an idiot; he <em> knew </em>what was coming. She's not as subtle as she thinks she is. And today? Well, he just didn’t have the energy to pretend it wasn’t true.</p><p>Nodding her head towards where Jess was in the kitchen, Lottie said, “You should just tell her.”</p><p>
  <em> Called it. </em>
</p><p>Bobby still seriously considered playing dumb, denying it, maybe annoying her till she eventually caved. But, honestly, he kind of wanted to talk to someone about it. And, even more honestly, he knew the chances of her giving up were low. If not today, tomorrow. She was a dog with a bone.</p><p>Knowing he’d probably regret it, he simply said, “I <em> can’t</em>.”</p><p>Lottie snapped her head back; looking absolutely gobsmacked. It had kind of been worth it just to see that look on her face.</p><p>Chuckling, he gave her a shit-eating grin, “What? Thought I was going to play hard tae get?”</p><p>She threw her arms in the air and huffed out a breath, “Yeah. Fuck. I was ready for a fight.”</p><p>“I knae.”</p><p>“Shit, ok,” she sat there looking a little dumbfounded for a few more seconds before she grinned at him, “I’m so fucking excited about this!”</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>“You and Jess!”</p><p>“There is nae me and Jess,” he deadpanned.</p><p>“No, but there could be. If you’d stop being such a pussy and tell her!”</p><p>Ugh. She just didn’t get it. He <em>couldn’t</em>. At this point, it was weird that he even liked her at all. He felt like such an idiot; who does that? Just randomly decides to crush on their best friend? He wasn’t in a bloody Ashton Kutcher movie. This wasn’t going to work out well for him.</p><p>“Look, she’s kind of important tae me and I’d rather have her as a friend than nothing.”</p><p>“Bobby, you’re an <em> idiot!</em> Just -”</p><p>He cut her off as he noticed Jess heading towards them, “Shit. Don’t tell her, or anyone, yeah?”</p><p>“Obviously. But you might want to tone it down a notch, you’re being super obvious about it today.”</p><p>“What?” he choked out.</p><p>“Your eyes are heart emojis right now,” she whispered quickly.</p><p>“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, just before Jess was within earshot.</p><p>“Hopefully it’s up to your standards Captain,” she smirked as she handed him the plate, nodding a greeting at Lottie and plopping down on her stomach at the end of the bed.</p><p>Lottie’s words ran through his mind and he almost broke out in a sweat. <em> Ok, ok. Tone it down. Be normal.</em></p><p>Crap. How did he act normal around her? </p><p>
  <em> Fuck Lottie, why did you have to mess with my head? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Shit, shit, shit. Oh god, ok.  </em>
</p><p>He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, “Yeah, cool.”</p><p>Frowning slightly, she looked at Lottie, “I hope <em>you</em> haven’t been helping him plan out ways to torture me more. You’re still on my kill list.”</p><p>“Whatever, you needed to be taken down a beat.”</p><p>“By this guy though?” Jess threw a thumb at Bobby, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of her perfect lips.</p><p>He opened his mouth to complain about the insult but thought better of it at the last second.</p><p>
  <em> Act cool, not bothered. </em>
</p><p>So, instead, he just said, “Ha.”</p><p>Jess tilted her head at Bobby, scanning his face for something, before looking at Lottie again, confusion lingering all over her face.</p><p>Slowly, she pushed up on her hands, getting to her feet as she awkwardly said, “Um, did I, uh, interrupt something here?”</p><p>
  <em> Shit. Er. </em>
</p><p>Both Lottie and Bobby answered at the exact same time;</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Jess raised an eyebrow in surprise at his answer.</p><p>
  <em> Yikes. Maybe a bit too detached? </em>
</p><p>“I was just about to have a nap, so yeh dinnae have to hang around,” he shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich so he couldn’t say anything else stupid.</p><p>“Ok, sure... enjoy your sandwich, I guess…” she half-heartedly raised her hand in a wave and turned to walk away.</p><p>As soon as she'd left, Lottie smacked him on the shoulder. Fucking hard.</p><p>“Ow! Fuck!”</p><p>“What the <em>fuck</em> was that Bobby?!” Lottie hissed.</p><p>He rubbed his shoulder and glared at her, “Yeh told me to tone it down!”</p><p>“Not <em> that </em> much, you fucking idiot!” she screeched, pressing her fingers into her temples as though she were frustrated.</p><p>
  <em> Well fuck. </em>
</p><p><em>I’m frustrated too Lottie. </em> <em>Come on. </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Jess had begrudgingly spent most of the day running around after Bobby. She really wanted to hate it, but the thing that frustrated her the most was that she didn’t hate it as much as she wanted to. </p><p>And let's be clear; it had been the worst.</p><p>So far, she had cooked, cleaned, given Bobby piggyback rides, executed some weird pranks on the other Islanders (and took the blame for it), and, most annoying of all, done tasks for everyone else too. Because that little bastard had figured out that if someone asked <em>him</em> to do something, he could agree and then make her do it. Basically, all day, she'd been doing favours for the other Islanders that <em>Bobby</em> could cash in on later. Yeah.</p><p>Like she said, she <em>wanted</em> to hate it. But, well, she was kind of impressed. Or maybe charmed? Perhaps enamoured? Eh, doesn't matter.</p><p>Right now, she was on break; they had a challenge. A challenge that had been delayed till late afternoon because of the fun everyone was having with slave Jess.</p><p>
  <em> Ugh. Never again. So stupid. </em>
</p><p>They were currently standing in two lines, boys and girls standing opposite each other, two tables on either side with face down cards, and a banner over the challenge area that read <em> ‘Kiss &amp; Tell’</em>.</p><p>And yes, she was <em> fucking </em> excited for this game. Did it involve kissing? Yes? She was in. Let's get real, she'd be in even if it didn't.</p><p>Priya read out the instructions, “Islanders, this game is boys vs. girls. You will each take turns selecting a card from the deck, which will reveal a secret about someone in the opposite team. You may work as a team to figure out who the secret is about, however the individual must kiss the Islander to reveal your guess. The winning team will get cocktails this evening #lipsaresealed.”</p><p>Hope was up first, <em>“This boy once spent 500 pounds on a date.”</em></p><p>As the girls huddled up, Hannah sighed wistfully, “I wish it was Henrik but I think I’d be lucky to get anything except some moss on a plate from him.”</p><p>Jess snorted quietly into her hand. <em> Oh shit. That’s exactly what he would serve. </em></p><p>“Well Noah is <em> only </em> a Librarian, so it’s not him,” Hope said, her tone a little too judgemental for Jess’s liking.</p><p>“A Librarian is a valid career, plus, he’s actually <em> Head </em>Librarian,” Jess snipped.</p><p>Hope raised her eyebrow in surprise, but quickly shrugged, “Even so.”</p><p>“It’s gotta be Lucas right?” Priya asked before Jess could get even madder about Hope being so fucking dismissive.</p><p>Taking a calming breath, Jess agreed, “Yeah, probably.”</p><p>Hope smirked, “You alright if I kiss him?”</p><p>Jess shrugged in response, not sure what to say. <em>'I literally give zero fucks’  </em>felt wrong to say aloud.</p><p>Honestly, she was surprised by just how <em> much </em> she didn’t care. It felt normal to feel like this in the beginning, but surely she should feel <em> something </em> by now right? Just a tiny bit of jealousy. Perhaps a touch of discomfort. Hell, a little bit of <em> any emotion </em>would suffice. This level of nonchalance felt… strange? Unusual? Telling? She couldn’t put her finger on the unease it caused her.</p><p>Still smirking, Hope sauntered over to Lucas, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.</p><p>Ok, that was an understatement. Hope went <em> in</em>.</p><p>And <em>now,</em> she felt something; <em>horrible</em> for Noah, who was standing right next to Hope and Lucas as they shoved their tongues so far down each other’s throat, Jess was worried they’d never be able to find their way back out. </p><p>Noah turned her way; his face a perfect picture of absolute devastation as his eyes met Jess’s. The girls were murmuring next to her, but she wasn’t really paying attention, instead pointedly ignoring all the stares from the others, and focusing on giving Noah a sympathetic smile.</p><p>After what honestly felt like hours, they broke apart and Hope immediately spun back around to the girls, either purposefully or ignorantly ignoring Noah right next to her. </p><p>Upon seeing the look on Jess’s face, and clearly mistaking it, Hope smiled smugly, “Babe, calm down, it’s just a game.”</p><p>Noah dropped his head sullenly at her dismissiveness.</p><p>
  <em>You fucking bitch. </em>
</p><p>Appalled at Hope’s lack of care or concern for her own fucking partner, Jess opened her mouth to say something, but Lucas spoke up, still looking a little dazed from the kiss, “Jess, it didn’t mean anything. Did you – Are you <em>actually</em> jealous?” </p><p>“What? I’m fine,” her words coming out a little more defensively that she’d have liked, making her cringe. </p><p>
  <em> Damn it. Now they probably think I am. </em>
</p><p>Priya cut in, “It’s just the first card guys! Let’s keep playing! Was she right?”</p><p>“Yes,” Lucas said, eyeing Jess with a smug smile.</p><p>Hope marked a point on the chalkboard, and now the boys were up.</p><p>With an angry scowl, Noah stormed to the table, picking up a card just before Gary was about to do so. Gary opened his mouth to protest, saw the look on his face and stepped back, letting Noah go ahead.</p><p>In a surprisingly aggressive tone, Noah read, <em>“This girl once hired a team of people to do her hair and makeup for a movie night.”</em></p><p>Without consulting the boys, he threw the card in the air haphazardly and stalked over to Priya, grabbing her and pulling her in for a kiss.</p><p>If Noah had anything to say about it, Jess knew the kiss would have been just as intense as Hope and Lucas’s but, much to his disappointment, Priya quickly ended the kiss by pushing at his shoulders.</p><p>Giving Noah an abhorrent look, Priya said, “Yeah it was me.”</p><p>With the boys all cheering, Gary marked their point.</p><p>A few more rounds went by without incident - everyone mostly keeping the kisses chaste, and Jess had been spared from any secrets, mostly just standing around giving everyone shit.</p><p>Plus, the girls were winning. All in all, it was one of the best challenges yet.</p><p>That is, until it was Lottie’s turn.</p><p><em>“This boy claims he once got down and dirty on the moon,”</em> she announced laughingly.</p><p>Gary snorted, “What? In his dreams?”</p><p>Jess watched Bobby frown and open his mouth, before shutting it quickly and adopting a neutral expression.</p><p><em> Gotcha</em>.</p><p>Turning back to their team huddle, she whispered, “It’s Bobby.”</p><p>The girls all argued against it and in the end they voted for Henrik. <em> Idiots. </em></p><p>As Lottie was walking up to kiss Henrik, Jess caught Bobby’s eye, pulled a stupid face and mouthed <em>“I know it’s you.”</em></p><p>Faking innocence, he mouthed, <em>“Who? Me?”</em></p><p>Jess got so distracted pulling faces back and forth with Bobby, that she almost hadn’t noticed the tension filled silence that had descended over the group.</p><p>Looking over at what everyone was staring at, she found Lottie and Henrik engaged in the kind of kiss that should only happen behind closed doors. He had her tipped backwards, faces locked together and both of them were running their hands all over each other.</p><p>
  <em> Errrr...</em>
</p><p>“You <em> bitch!” </em> Hannah screamed as Lottie pulled away from Henrik, who, granted, looked decidedly sheepish once he looked around at the others.</p><p>“I – I –” Lottie floundered about, looking like a deer in headlights.</p><p>Gary stepped forward, looking angrily at Lottie, “Yeah, I’m fucking pissed too. What the fuck was that Lottie?”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to -”</p><p>Hope cut her off, “You didn’t mean to shove your tongue down Henrik’s throat? Is that actually what you’re going with? Do you realise how ridiculous you sound?”</p><p>Noah stepped forward, “<em>Really </em> Hope? <em> You’re </em> going to judge Lottie? After how you kissed Lucas?”</p><p>Hannah stomped her foot, “I don’t care about <em> your </em> problems! Lottie, how <em> dare </em> you!”</p><p>Jess tuned out as the game fell into anarchy. Honestly, she was just over the bullshit drama and didn't feel like mediating this fight. It was stupid anyway. So instead, she just sighed and let it all play out, ignoring the mentions of her name as Lucas was eventually brought into the argument too.</p><p>Priya and Bobby were the only other ones not involved and were chit chatting near the cards, looking just as bored as she felt. If this argument lasted any longer, she might go join them.</p><p>Priya, who was flicking through and reading all the cards, suddenly smirked and handed Bobby a card. He took it without looking, set his face into a determined line, put his fingers in his mouth and let out a <em>hell</em> of a loud whistle, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look at him.</p><p>In a no-nonsense tone, Bobby spoke up, “Right. All this arguing has gotten out’a hand. We still ‘ave a game tae play so can we please put this on pause until after?”</p><p>
  <em>Damn. Commanding Bobby is low key hot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Alright, more than low key. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sexy as fuck.</em>
</p><p>Hope, Gary, Noah, Hannah, Henrik, Lucas and Lottie – so, basically everyone - all mumbled in agreement and went back to their places.</p><p>“Great!” he said happily, “Now, the answer was wrong; it was me.”</p><p>“So you’re admitting to making that story up?” Lucas snipped.</p><p>In a tone dripping with sarcasm, Bobby said, “Thank yeh fer asking Lucas, I <em> will </em> tell yeh the story!” addressing the rest of the group he explained, “It was in the astrodome after hours; we got locked in and decided tae make the most of the rare opportunity by having sex on one of the moon landing displays.”</p><p>“Oh shit Bee! Did you dress up as an astronaut?” Jess asked, kind of desperate to know.</p><p>“Aye, yeh knae I did.”</p><p>Instant regret. She did not need <em> that </em> visual. Fuck.</p><p>Unsure what to say, she was grateful when Priya jumped in, “Trust you to do something <em> that </em> kinky.”</p><p>“Eh. Yeh knae me! Always down tae try something once.”</p><p>Priya laughed, “Read the card I gave you; it’s good.”</p><p>Bobby smirked as he looked down at the card, reading it out loud, <em>“This girl got caught ordering sex toys to her work address.”</em></p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>That’s fucking bullshit! They can’t use secrets people already know! </em>
</p><p>Jess glared at Priya; she’d told her this story last night before she’d gone up to the rooftop. Did she give that card to Bobby on fucking purpose?</p><p>
  <em>I'm gonna kill her.</em>
</p><p>Priya just shrugged and shot her a conspiratorial wink, giving zero fucks to the situation. Rude.</p><p>And then, Jess had a <em> second </em> opportunity to be annoyed by this whole stupid thing, because Bobby clearly noticed the exchange and clocked on immediately, locking eyes with her as he sauntered over, a smug smile on his lips.</p><p>
  <em>Ah, crap.</em>
</p><p>Stopping just before he reached her, he smiled with a mischievous glint in his eye. </p><p>For some super fucked up reason, Jess had to actually stop herself from blushing. Why? And <em>fuck!</em> Why did part of her want to kiss him right now?</p><p>“Do you <em> really </em> think it’s me?” she smirked, trying to hold onto her act of indifference, despite the fact that her heart had picked up its pace.</p><p>
  <em> Shit, shit, shit.  </em>
</p><p>“Oh, I <em> know </em> it’s yeh Lass.”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, she said quietly, “Whatever, you just want to kiss me.”</p><p>At the words <em> ‘kiss me’,</em> her mind conjured up thoughts about the last time she’d kissed him in a challenge, sending annoying bolts of anticipation through her. He was such a fucking good kisser.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. No. Stop it right now. </em>
</p><p>With a bark of laughter, he stepped closer, reaching out to wrap one arm around her waist, his chest brushing lightly against hers. Oh <em>god.</em> His touch sent goosebumps across her skin and suddenly, all she could think about was how <em>badly</em> she wanted to let him touch her everywhere, to have the hand that was currently splayed out on her lower back slide further down and grip her ass. Like he had done in the slime challenge.</p><p>
  <em> Wait, what? No, no, no. That’s not what I want. </em>
</p><p>Leaning in closer, eyes dark, expression oddly serious, he whispered, “Maybe.”</p><p>She swallowed hard, unable to do <em>anything</em> except stare back at him as he lifted his other hand and cupped her face, running his thumb across her cheek lightly. The soft contact sent her heart racing faster, her breath coming out short and ragged as she tried desperately to control it. To make it seem normal. To go back to a minute ago before her body was screaming at her to let him touch her where ever the fuck he wanted to. <em> How </em>ever he wanted.</p><p>In an effort to create some distance, Jess put her hands on his chest, but the moment she did, his warmth radiated through her and now <em> she </em> wanted to run her hands all over <em> him</em>. Her heart was now beating loud enough she was sure he could hear it, and her eyes flickered momentarily to his lips. His really soft, really skilled lips that she wanted to taste.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fuck!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What is happening right now? </em>
</p><p>Someone yelled out, “Can you two hurry up? We haven't got all day!”</p><p>Jess was too lost in the moment to really give a shit or respond, and apparently, so was he. They both just kept staring at each other with a mixture of confusion and anticipation.</p><p>He searched her face for a moment before he slowly leant in closer, his lips millimetres from hers, his breath ghosting her lips and driving her fucking insane with want. Closing her eyes she <em>tried</em> not to think about how much she wanted him to close the distance. Or the way she pressed herself firmly against him. Or the way she was already starting to get turned on and he had barely fucking touched her!</p><p>
  <em> What is wrong with you? This is Bobby. Your friend. You don’t have feelings for him. You don’t want to kiss him. Stop this. You’re being so fucking stupid! </em>
</p><p>“Yeh can say no,” he whispered breathily.</p><p>
  <em> Oh my god, yes, please. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wait, I mean no. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Say no Jess. </em>
</p><p>“Yes” she heard herself whimper. <em>Actually fucking whimper. </em> Jesus Christ.</p><p>Then his lips touched hers and suddenly she didn’t give a fuck anymore. Everything else stopped existing. It was just her and him, and this strange feeling as though the world was always crooked and it just moved back onto it's axis.</p><p>Bobby kissed her slowly but with purpose, like he meant it, and it made her head swirl. All she could think about was him. And how soft his lips were. And his thumb that was drawing little circles on her back. And how she never wanted to stop kissing him. He traced his tongue over her bottom lip and tugged it lightly into his mouth, tilting her head with his hand on her cheek so he could kiss her harder, deeper. Desire pooled in her, making her feel reckless. She wanted to open her mouth and have his tongue touch hers. <em>Oh god!</em> She wanted <em> that </em> more than she’d wanted anything else. Ever.</p><p>Tightening his grip on her waist, he pulled her impossibly closer to him and she involuntarily let out a soft moan as she melted into him. She'd lost all sense of time and place, only able to concentrate on how fucking good it felt to have his lips and body against hers. She felt a little nuts if she were honest; feeling as though she had been kissing him for hours, rather than the few seconds it really was.</p><p>
  <em>Shit. Wait. This is just a challenge. </em>
</p><p>The thought came crashing down on her like she’d been dumped with a bucket of water. But also, like the water had evaporated as soon as it touched her skin; her whole body was on fire. She felt like the goddamn sun.</p><p>In any case, it was enough for her to regain her senses and she used her hands on his chest to gently push him back, her eyes flying open and meeting his darkened gaze as they blinked at each other for a moment. He smiled at her and it confused her even more. Why was he so happy? She felt fucking flustered, confused, lost.</p><p>
  <em>Oh my god. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm so fucked.</em>
</p><p>Lottie let out a cackle and said, “Gross, that was like watching mum and dad kiss.”</p><p>Jess gave an awkward laugh, her mind blank and unresponsive. Honestly, she felt so fucking rattled by the kiss she wasn’t even sure if she remembered her own name anymore. She had never felt like this before and, well, the whole thing was really fucking weird.</p><p>Clearing her throat, she broke eye contact with him, feeling him step back from her and turn to walk back to his spot. She instantly felt the loss of him and it made panic claw at her chest. What the fuck was happening to her right now? Is this some kind of alternate reality?</p><p>Looking up, she found everyone looking at her expectantly, waiting to hear if Bobby had got it right. Fuck.</p><p>Immediately, she put her poker face on, ready to pretend everything was hunky dory. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Jess is A-OK. What’s a kiss between friends?</p><p>
  <em> It’s not a big deal. It’s not a big deal. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh yeah? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then why can’t you look him in the eye? </em>
</p><p>In a surprisingly cheery voice, given the state she was in, she announced, “He was right!”</p><p>Everyone pressed her for details and she happily indulged, the entire time avoiding looking directly at Bobby, even though she could feel his eyes on her. Practically burning into her soul. </p><p>It wasn’t because she <em> couldn’t </em> look him in the eye. No way. That would be ridiculous. He just hadn’t said anything to her, so it was unnecessary. That’s the story she was sticking to.</p><p>She was grateful for the distraction, because telling them her inane sex-toy-work-scandal was enough to stop her mind from focusing on the tingling she still felt on her lips. </p><p>
  <em>Damn it. </em>
</p><p>Now she was thinking about it again.</p><p>Hannah stepped up to read the next secret out loud, and the game carried on.</p><p>
  <em>Thank fuck. </em>
</p><p>But Jess was no longer paying attention. Which, in hindsight, wasn’t the greatest idea because she’d ended up floundering when Gary briefly kissed her, and she had no idea what she was being accused of.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Sort your shit girl.</em>
</p><p>Grabbing Gary by the shoulders to keep him close, she whispered, “What was the secret?”</p><p>Gary chuckled, “Were you not paying attention?”</p><p>“No, shut up, what was it?”</p><p>“Huh. I wonder what you were distracted by? Could it have been a kiss with a -”</p><p>“Fuck <em> off </em> Gaz,” she cut him off, smacking him lightly on the shoulder, “Just answer the fucking question.”</p><p>Laughing, he stepped away from her, speaking loudly to the group, “For those not paying attention,” he coughed a barely concealed <em> ‘Jess’ </em> into his hand, “This girl got kicked out of a club for dancing on a table.”</p><p>Jess threw Gary a little glare at calling her out like that, before addressing everyone with a shrug, “I’ve danced on a table before, sure, but no one has ever asked me to stop.”</p><p>Priya stepped forward, “It was me. It was at some posh cocktail place though so… not really the place to do that at.”</p><p>“Oh, that’d be why, I frequent dive bars,” Jess joked with a wink.</p><p>All the boys grumbled at having got the question wrong and she mistakenly let her guard down, letting herself genuinely smile and joke around.</p><p>In her complacent state, her eyes involuntarily flickered to Bobby, who was looking at her, eyebrows locked in confusion but a small smile on his lips.</p><p>She quickly looked away again; she just wasn’t ready to face him yet. Or face what she was feeling. She needed to put everything that happened away in a box and forget about it. Pretend it never happened.</p><p>
  <em> It was just a stupid challenge. It didn’t mean anything. It was just weird. He was just a good kisser; that’s it. Nothing else. </em>
</p><p>She met Lucas’s eyes, who, to her great surprise, had an easy smile for her.</p><p>Relief flooded through her. It mustn’t have looked that bad then. Maybe it was all in her head? Yeah. That’s probably true. She was just overthinking this.</p><p>
  <em> You like Lucas.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lucas. Lucas. Lucas.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not Bobby.</em>
</p><p><em>Definitely</em> <em>not.</em></p><p>
  <em>Right?</em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Bobby stood there as the game continued, not really paying attention anymore. He was <em> fucking </em> confused. </p><p>He had gone over there, expecting to laugh and joke with Jess and give her a quick peck, maybe even on the cheek. But from the moment he stood in front of her, she looked at him differently. Like she wanted him.</p><p>And then he had kissed her; she had <em>wanted</em> him to. He <em> knew </em>she had wanted it, even if she hadn't actually said the words. The way she looked at him, the way she moved in closer, her breathing, her pupils dilating, the fucking sexy sounds she had made. Everything about it had been hot as fuck. Left him wanting to drag her off that stupid challenge platform and get on his knees for her.</p><p>He knew what kissing her had felt like; they had done it before. <em> But </em> he’d been blind-folded and couldn’t hear a thing. Nothing - absolutely <em> nothing -</em> could have prepared him for what it was like to actually be able to see and hear her. Christ, it had been amazing, like putting mentos in a bottle of coke; fucking explosion. Fireworks.</p><p>At least for him anyway.</p><p>Clearly she hadn't felt the same because now she was standing there, avoiding looking at him like he had the fucking plague.</p><p>They didn’t have to kiss like <em> that</em>. She fucking started it. And now, she was acting distant; like it hadn’t happened.</p><p>Maybe it wasn't as good as he thought it was. Or, worst case scenario, perhaps he'd kissed her too eagerly.</p><p>
  <em>Did she know? Is that why she won't look at me?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Soon, someone announced the challenge was over; something about the girls winning and a cocktail party, blah, blah, blah.</p><p>He was just waiting for the moment he could run over and talk to her. He wanted to make sure things were ok. Fuck. He just wanted her to look at him again.</p><p>Everyone dispersed fairly quickly, most of them breaking out into their couples; likely to discuss the absolute shitshow that resulted in a seven-way shouting match. He was glad to not be part of <em> that </em>drama, that’s for sure.</p><p>Just as Bobby took a step to go over to Jess, Lucas stepped up to her, running his fingers gently down one of her arms as she smiled up at him.</p><p>Crap, he forgot about Lucas.<em> Idiot! </em></p><p>His chest constricted as he watched them walk arm in arm back towards the Villa. She could look at Lucas like that, the same Lucas that snogged Hope earlier, but she couldn’t look at Bobby more than once for the rest of the game?</p><p>
  <em> What the fuck Jess? </em>
</p><p>“Bobby!” he heard someone yell next to him. Shit.</p><p>He quickly turned to see Priya standing there, a watchful smile on her face, “Sorry love,” he muttered, trying to clear the daze from his mind, “What’s up?”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed, “I <em> said</em>, so you finally got to kiss the girl huh?”</p><p>“I dinnae know what yer talking about.” </p><p>
  <em> Yeah, play dumb. That always works. </em>
</p><p>“Yes you do,” she sing-songed.</p><p>“It was just a challenge Priya.”</p><p>“Maayybe, but I think you both might have meant it just a little bit,” she teased, holding out her thumb and forefinger to show him just how little she thought they might have meant it. Turns out only the smallest amount. <em> Not super reassuring there Priya. </em></p><p>At a loss for what to say, he muttered, “Whatever.”</p><p>She tossed her hair over her shoulder, “Anyway, I didn’t come here to bust your balls. I wanted to chat, let’s go over to the daybeds.”</p><p>Shrugging his acceptance, he followed her over, propping himself up against the pillows while she lounged luxuriously across most of the bed. He tried not to pay too much attention to Jess and Lucas sharing a beanbag in the middle of the lawn, ignoring the stabbing irritation he felt in his bones.</p><p>
  <em> Get a fucking grip. This is your reality. </em>
</p><p>“Ok, so,” she started, a mischievous look in her eyes, “I have this crazy idea that might benefit us both...”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“You know I’ve really been struggling in here... I mean, I really liked you, but you rejected me pretty quick,” she looked at him pointedly.</p><p>“Yeah, sorry about -”</p><p>Priya waved her hand dismissively and carried on, “Then, Noah pied me off for Hope, then bloody Rahim for Jo,” she sighed bitterly, “And now, I don’t really have any other options in here, no one I feel a connection with…” she lowered her head, absentmindedly picking at a thread on her cover up, “Well, except one person…”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>Biting her lip, she muttered, “Er... Lucas.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck. She can’t be serious? </em>
</p><p>“What?” he choked out incredulously.</p><p>“I know. Trust me, <em> I know</em>. But the thing is, we’ve been talking and, I don’t want to get in between them or anything but, I just want to see if maybe… there’s something there. I have to try.”</p><p>Feeling like he was walking a tightrope, he said, “Priya, yeh can’t <em> seriously </em>be thinking about breaking them up right?”</p><p>“Are you kidding Bobby? I’d be doing them both a favour! They’re toxic and they just need to realise it themselves,” she argued, eyes narrowed with determination.</p><p>He let out a hiss of air through his teeth. The thing was, he agreed with her. He felt like he was constantly going around, telling Lucas he was being a prick. He was a fucking broken record. Every single fucking day since Jess and Lucas got together he’s had to pull Lucas aside and remind him to stop being a jealous dickface.</p><p>He hated that guy.</p><p><em>But</em> Jess chose him; she <em> wants </em>to be with him. Despite the fact that Bobby thought she was mental for wanting to be with that wanker, he didn't want to be the reason they broke up. He just wanted Jess to be happy. Even before he figured out that he had a wee crush on her, back when he saw her as just a friend, he’d still wanted that.</p><p>
  <em> God I’m pathetic. </em>
</p><p>Not realising he hadn’t said anything in a while, he almost jumped at the sound of Priya speaking.</p><p>“I don’t know about you, but I could do with <em>less </em> of <em> that </em> around here,” she said, pointing at where the topic of conversation were now kissing on the beanbags, “That’s their couple name by the way; Less.”</p><p>“Leave them alone Pri,” he mumbled absentmindedly, averting his gaze from the sight and trying to not think about how much he <em> hated </em> knowing Lucas was kissing her right now.</p><p>Almost pleading with him now, Priya whined, “Come <em>on</em> Bobby, I thought we were friends. This plan means we’ll <em> both </em>get what we want.”</p><p>“Jess is my friend. I dinnae want to be part of a plan to sabotage them. It would nae work anyway. Fuck, just look at ‘em,” he said, waving his arm towards the lawn, but pointedly <em> not </em> looking.</p><p>She looked over at the pair again, shrugging, “I don’t know, I think <em> both </em> their heads could be turned... by us.”</p><p>Her words hung in the air between them; Bobby unwilling to say out loud that there was absolutely no chance of him turning Jess’s head.</p><p>
  <em> But what about that kiss? </em>
</p><p>In the moment, it felt like it meant something. She <em> had </em> to feel those sparks too right? She <em> had </em>to feel like it was right, like the fucking world just clicked into place.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. Stop. </em>
</p><p>Bobby shoved the thought out of his mind. If she wanted him, she’d not have ignored him afterwards. She felt awkward about it, likely because they were friends and he’d made it weird. Fuck. He’d really fucked things up today.</p><p>“All I’m asking,” Priya continued, “is for you to distract her for a bit while I… test the waters. I can’t risk her finding out.”</p><p>“And what if she finds out anyway? Ye'll really hurt her,” he lamented.</p><p>“Pfft. If I <em> do </em> manage to turn his head, she’ll be <em> glad </em> to know that he’s not loyal. She’d probably thank us; you know how important that is to her.”</p><p>Bobby almost laughed. Priya couldn’t honestly believe Jess would <em> thank </em>them for interfering in her relationship. Jesus Christ.</p><p>“I’m loyal tae <em> her</em>, Pri. Always have been, always will be. I will nae do this. And yeh shouldn’t either. Frankly, it sucks that yer even thinking about doing this behind her back. Why don’t you just talk to her? She would never be mad at yeh if yeh just told her how yeh feel, and yeh know it.”</p><p>“Ugh! Bobby!” she moaned, “I can’t risk it when I don’t even know if Lucas would be interested. I don’t want to start drama for nothing. <em> One shot</em>, that’s all I’m asking for…”</p><p>Suddenly, she sat up straight, her attention immediately being pulled towards the lawn as she watched Lucas get up and walk towards the Villa. It was a little like watching a Lion stalk its prey, and it sent threads of dread coursing through his veins.  </p><p>“Like right now, for example,” she whispered, hurriedly getting to her feet, “Go distract Jess for me.”</p><p>Without waiting around for him to tell her to shove it, which he was most definitely planning to do, she sauntered off after Lucas.</p><p>
  <em> Fuuuucccckkkk. </em>
</p><p>Jumping to his feet, every step towards Jess made his heart flutter just a little bit quicker and the tension in his muscles increase, almost to the point where his entire body was screaming at him to stop. Like he knew he was about to feed himself to the wolves.</p><p>Not <em>just</em> because he’d have to tell her about Priya’s plan, but because things were still so unsure between them after the challenge.</p><p>What will she say? Will she tell him to fuck off? Will she even look at him? What is wrong? Does she hate him? Was the way he kissed her too obvious? Did she suspect he had feelings for her and <em> that’s </em>why she had avoided him? Shit. Did she hate the kiss?</p><p>Oh god. He was going to hate every second of this conversation. He knew it.</p><p>“Hey Jess...” he said, kicking himself for his cautious tone.</p><p><em> Damn it, can you at least </em> <em><strong>try </strong> to be a normal person around her? </em></p><p>She looked up at him, a little surprised, a subtle shade of pink tinting her cheeks, “Oh, um, hi Bobby. How are you?”</p><p>“Aye, good, how are yeh?” he replied, shuffling on his feet, trying to shove his hands in the pockets of his swim trunks. Fuck. This pair didn’t have pockets.</p><p>She blinked at him for a few moments, the uncomfortable silence washing over them both, making the air feel heavy. And then, she started laughing; at first just a giggle but it quickly turned into a full blown chortle. He found himself joining in, partly because her laugh was infectious, mostly because the whole thing was so <em> fucking awkward</em>.</p><p><em>How are you?</em> When have they ever said that before? So stupid.</p><p>Once they’d both calmed down a little, she smiled warmly at him, easing some of the tension he felt, and patted the beanbag next to her. </p><p>Sitting down, he sighed heavily. Fuck. He was so not ready for this chat.</p><p>Without really thinking about it, he decided to just bring up the elephant in the room first, “I’m sorry for…” he trailed off. </p><p>Shit. He couldn’t say it. He <em> wasn’t </em> sorry for kissing her. He wanted to kiss her a fuck tonne more than that one time. Preferably outside of a challenge. Fuck, he’d take right now, just to throw an example out there.</p><p>She quirked an eyebrow at him teasingly, “<em>Are </em> you?”</p><p>He chuckled, mostly fucking relieved that she was joking with him about it, “Nae, not really, yeh <em> are </em> the best kisser in the Villa.” </p><p>
  <em> Oh god. Why did you bring that up</em>
  <em>? </em>
</p><p>“Confirmed is it?” she joked.</p><p>“Fishing are yeh?” he threw back at her.</p><p>She rolled her eyes light-heartedly, “It was a challenge Bee, we’re all good.”</p><p>
  <em> Right. A challenge. Ok.  </em>
</p><p>He’d be lying if he said that didn’t sting just a little bit.</p><p>Nodding, he mumbled, “Good. I care about you.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh for fuck’s sake, man. Is there no end to the stupid things you’re going to say? Do they have ducktape here? Because that’s what you need to be able to shut the fuck up. </em>
</p><p>“Er, as a friend,” he clarified; completely unnecessarily, making it a thousand times worse.</p><p>Jesus Christ. He had never wanted to punch himself in the face more than in this moment. At least if he was knocked out, his mouth couldn’t speak before his brain could stop it. </p><p>Or maybe he’d just sleep talk. </p><p>Alright, so, <em> not </em>a great plan.</p><p>She scrunched up her face in playful disgust, “Melt.”</p><p>“Shut up,” he groaned, grateful for the small mercy that he wasn’t blushing.</p><p>
  <em> Tell her about Priya. Now. </em>
</p><p>Clearing his throat, he started, “Listen, I, er, need to -”</p><p>Suddenly, Hope called out to them, her voice a loud whisper across the lawn from where she was standing by the main Villa doors, “Jess! Come here!”</p><p>The look on Hope’s face confirmed his suspicions that she might be about to tell Jess about Priya’s plan; she looked a mixture of gleeful and smug.</p><p><em> Fuck</em>. The feeling of impending doom made his blood run cold.</p><p>Barely turning her head to look at Hope, Jess whined like a child being called by their mother, <em>“Whaaaattttt?”</em></p><p>Hope impatiently tapped her foot, “Just come, it’s important.”</p><p>Jess rolled eyes at Bobby before getting to her feet and starting out towards the Villa.</p><p>
  <em>Shit. Crap. No.</em>
</p><p>Scrambling, and in full panic mode, he got up, grabbing her arm to stop her, words tumbling out of his mouth desperately, “Wait, I need to tell you something first, Jess -”</p><p>Not halting her stride, she said, “Just let me see what she wants, then I'm all yours.”</p><p>
  <em>Goddamn it.</em>
</p><p>Unable to come up with any ideas to make her listen, he followed her like a lost puppy. Feeling more and more defeated with every step.</p><p>
  <em> Please don’t be about Priya. Please don’t be about Priya. </em>
</p><p>Once they’d got close, Hope confirmed his worst fucking nightmare by cheerfully saying, “Priya just tried to kiss Lucas.”</p><p>
  <em> God she was a bitch. </em>
</p><p>Jess let out a disbelieving laugh, “Hope, come on, that’s ridiculous.”</p><p>“Is it?” she said, almost giggling, “Because I saw the whole thing. If Lucas hadn’t dodged her, they’d have kissed.”</p><p>Bobby watched as Jess’s smile dropped from her face and felt his heart drop with it.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Jess asked, her voice wavering slightly as a fury of emotions crossed her face, too quickly for him to determine any of them.</p><p>“I’m sure. She’s still in the lounge.”</p><p>Without a word, Jess calmly walked past Hope, into the Villa. Both himself; begrudgingly, and Hope; with a skip in her step, followed her inside, stopping at the door to the smallest of the two lounges. </p><p>Sitting on the couch was Priya, her hands in her head. </p><p>
  <em> Ah shit. This was going to suck. </em>
</p><p>Jess cleared her throat and Priya looked up, her face initially filled with shock but quickly replaced with guilt as her eyes flickered between the three of them; clearly working out that Jess already knew what had happened.</p><p>Beside him, Jess let out a small disappointed sigh, “Um, what’s going on Priya?”</p><p>“I’m sorry, I just thought, well, you always go on about taking risks and I just wanted to see if...” Priya trailed off helplessly.</p><p>Jess crossed her arms protectively around her body, face unreadable, tone neutral, “So you thought you’d kiss him?”</p><p>Priya shrugged, her voice barely above a whisper, “Yeah...”</p><p>“I… I don’t understand Priya. Why didn’t you just talk to me?”</p><p>“I don’t know. I’m sorry. It was a stupid plan. I just thought if I got time alone with him and Bobby distracted you, then...”</p><p>Priya was still talking, explaining herself in a desperate and pleading tone, but he’d stopped listening as Jess turned to face him. The hurt in her eyes cut to his core, making it difficult to breathe. She’d never looked at him like that before. He'd not seen her look at <em> anyone </em>like that before.</p><p>“You… were distracting me?” she asked, the watery tone in her voice adding to his pain.</p><p>“No, I wasn’t, I swear,” he said, reaching a hand out to touch her but she immediately shifted out of his reach, his arm dropping to his side, “Jess, I was <em> trying </em>to tell yeh.”</p><p>“But only after you knew Hope was about to anyway, right? After you <em>knew</em> you'd been caught?”</p><p>“No! Hope interrupted me, I was going tae tell yeh when we were on the beanbags and... then... just... well...” he trailed off, loosing his train of thought as he watched her eyes grow more distant with every word he spoke.</p><p>Without saying a word, she spun on her heel, heading across the lobby and towards the bedroom.</p><p>“Jess, wait, please,” he called, following her.</p><p>Once she entered the bedroom, she spun around, throwing her hands out in frustration, “For <em>what</em> Bobby?”</p><p>“I’m sorry, I can explain -”</p><p>She laughed bitterly, “Explain what exactly? How you fucking betrayed me?”</p><p>
  <em> Ouch. </em>
</p><p>“I didn’t -”</p><p>Cutting him off, she raised her voice, tears threatening the corners of her eyes, twisting the knife in his chest deeper, “I trusted you! More than anyone else in this stupid fucking place. I would have done anything for you Bobby, <em>anything</em>, you name it, it's yours. You were <em>important</em> to me, our friendship <em>meant</em> something, <em>you</em> meant something. I thought you felt the same. I trusted you.”</p><p>She paused, taking a deep, unsteady breath, and when she spoke next her voice was uncharacteristically cold, “I can’t stand to look at you.”</p><p>“Jess I -”</p><p>“Just leave me alone,” she said in a quiet, defeated voice.</p><p>He watched her walk away; still not entirely sure just how he’d managed to destroy the one good thing he had going on in here.</p><p>
  <em> Ding. </em>
</p><p>Groaning, he pulled his phone out, “Bobby, please make your way to the Beach Hut.”</p><p>
  <em> You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. </em>
</p><p>Dragging his feet the entire way there, he arrived with zero energy left.</p><p>He answered the questions about the challenge with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which is to say, not a lot. When he was asked about kissing Jess he gave generic answers, not really interested in thinking too much about it. He would place money on the fact that she was never going to let him kiss her again. What’s the point in imagining a dead fantasy anymore?</p><p>Done with the inane questions, the producers finally got the good shit; the drama that would probably dominate the entirety of the next episode. The episode that his friends and family are going to watch, likely screaming at the screen at his complete and utter idiocy. Just like Jess, they would never forgive him for this. Fuck, he would never forgive himself.</p><p>In the back of his mind he knew he was spiralling a bit here, but he couldn’t stop it. He didn’t even want to. He just wanted to wallow in his self-pity for a bit. At least if he was busy torturing himself, he wouldn’t have to think about the look on her face.</p><p>The one that told him he’d broken her.</p><p><b>How do you feel about everything that happened with Priya, Jess and Lucas today?</b> “I feel awful ‘bout today. I hurt her and it feels like shit.”</p><p>
  <em> Fuck I need a drink. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>By the time Jess was called to the Beach Hut, she had already changed into her evening wear and placed her order for cocktails. On any other night she might have been hella excited that winning a ‘cocktail party’ on this occasion apparently meant they had someone who was going to make drinks for them. Plus, as the girls won, they’d brought in a <em> topless </em>male bartender. He was fine as fuck too.</p><p>Jess might not be excited about having to sit around and chat with the girls, especially considering the amount of drama between them all, but she could get behind quality cocktails and some eye candy. That much was for sure.</p><p>That would have to wait for now though, as she was asked question after question about all the fucked up shit that happened today. Not in the mood at all, she gave the least amount of information possible in her answers; the producers getting more and more frustrated with her.</p><p><b>What did you think of the challenge?</b> “Yeah, the challenge was fine.”</p><p><b>Really? What about the drama?</b> “Didn’t affect me.”</p><p><b>The Lucas and Hope kiss?</b> “Not a big deal.”</p><p><b>Kissing Bobby?</b> “It was a challenge.”</p><p><b>Did you like it? </b>“It was fine.”</p><p><b>Do you want to kiss him again?</b> “Not anymore.”</p><p><b>How do you feel about Priya? </b>Jess paused, unable to stop the flicker of irritation that crossed her face. </p><p>The producers didn’t miss a beat.</p><p><b>Are you angry about Priya trying to kiss Lucas? </b>She opened her mouth and closed it again, not sure how to answer.</p><p><b>Are you angry with Bobby for taking part in it?</b> Fuck. Yes. Instead she pressed her lips together in an effort to stop them from trembling.</p><p><b>Are you upset with him? </b>Shit, shit, shit. She couldn’t stop the tears welling in her eyes, blinking furiously to keep them at bay.</p><p><b>Will you ever speak to him again? </b>Oh god. She tilted her head up, trying to focus on her breathing.</p><p><b>Will you forgive either of them for Operation Less?</b> <em>Wait. What? </em></p><p>Jess blinked at the screen, reading it again and again, letting it slowly sink in.</p><p>
  <em> It had a name?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> What the actual fuck? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Less?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Is that meant to be me and Lucas?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Was that Bobby’s idea? </em>
</p><p>Just like that, exactly as she’d been doing for the last few hours or so, Jess switched from sadness to anger. Real quick.</p><p>“Fuck both of them!” she yelled suddenly. </p><p>Knowing in the back of her mind that this is <em> exactly </em>what the producers wanted, did nothing to stop her. She was on a roll now. The gates of hell had opened.</p><p>“I can’t trust Priya. She could have come to me, <em> told </em> me she liked Lucas. She was <em> there </em> the day I told them that I’d be <em> fine </em> if someone else wanted to crack on with him. She <em> knew </em> I would be ok with this. I supported <em> everything </em> she’s done in here, had her back with <em> everything </em> and she <em> chose </em> to go behind my back with Lucas! With a fucked up, schemy, disgusting <em>plan!</em>” she threw her arms up angrily, “And don’t even get me started on Bobby! Bobby is… well, he was…” she took a deep breath as her mind raced, “See, Bobby… um… he...”</p><p>Jess sighed and dropped her head; not sure where to start. She wasn’t even able to articulate her thoughts to herself, let alone aloud.</p><p>Mostly, she hated him. With a furious, burning passion that made her want to rip his head from his body and wave it as the Villa flag.</p><p>But she was also deeply hurt. More than anything, she wished she was curled up in a ball, crying like a baby.</p><p>On top of that, she was intensely frustrated with him. It made her want to go find him and <em> scream </em>at him until she got some answers.</p><p>And then, there was the worst emotion of all; embarrassment.</p><p>Because, for all the twisting and confusing emotions running through her, all she really <em>really </em>wanted to do, was talk to him. Tell him how she was feeling. Have his arms wrapped around her. Have him tell her he was sorry and that it'd be ok. To forgive him anything because she craved their connection.</p><p>It was humiliating.</p><p>She was weak. She hated herself for it. For letting him get under her skin. For caring about him as much as she did. For letting him become so fucking important.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck! </em>
</p><p>Leaving the Beach Hut, unwilling to be a lab rat in the producers fucked up little game anymore, she walked across the lawn, determinedly heading straight for the bartender who was set up in the kitchen. The fucking <em> goregous </em>bartender.</p><p>“Hey Jess!” he smiled happily when he saw her coming, reaching into the fridge and getting out the two jugs of Sangria she’d ordered earlier.</p><p>Leaning against the counter next to him, she gave him a smile, “Oh Mason, I swear you are my life saver right now. I’ll be sure you get a mention in my eulogy.”</p><p>Yes, she knew the bartender’s name. Did she not already mention he was hot? Oh, and shirtless. Despite her inner turmoil, she was on her game tonight.</p><p>See, he was only meant to be making cocktails by the glass. Obviously, that wasn’t going to work for Jess, so she’d flirted with him earlier and got her way; cocktails in pitchers. Apparently all the other girls had stuck to ordering a glass one at a time.</p><p>
  <em> Such a rookie move. </em>
</p><p>“Well, in that case…” he grinned, holding up a bottle of tequila and a shot glass. </p><p>
  <em> Mason, you are officially the love of my life. </em>
</p><p>Nodding enthusiastically, she watched him pour it out then downed it immediately, “When are you coming on the show then? I can’t wait to couple up with you!”</p><p>“Ah. I see my cocktail making and alcohol supplying skills have impressed you. Just as I planned.”</p><p>She wiggled her eyebrows, running her eyes down his body purposefully, “Among other things, yeah.”</p><p>“You <em> are </em> a flirt huh? The producers warned me about you. <em> That’s </em>how bad your reputation is,” he joked with a small smile, refilling her shot.</p><p>“Well, the rumours are all true.”</p><p>“I'm sure. But sadly I am not coming on the show and <em> you </em>are coupled up with Lucas and should not be flirting with me when he can see you from the rooftop.”</p><p>He nodded his head towards it and she turned to see some of the boys standing around chatting, their heads only <em> just </em>visible from this angle, but she was 99% sure none of them were looking her way.</p><p>Not that it mattered in the slightest to her. She didn’t give a fuck about Lucas right at this minute. Even though she wasn’t mad at him, she <em> was </em>feeling like letting everything burn to the ground around her. To hell with it all. She felt reckless. Dangerous.</p><p>“Ugh. So <em> boring, </em> Mason! Where’s your sense of fun huh? The bedroom is empty right now, <em> and </em>there’s like ten beds we could choose from,” she teased, not meaning it at all.</p><p>
  <em> Unless…  </em>
</p><p>No, she didn’t mean it. </p><p>She may be fucked up right now but she wasn’t actually planning on being <em> that </em>stupid. Still, it was fun to dream. To imagine an alternate reality where she left the Villa right here, right now, with this rando she had two conversations with. For the lols.</p><p>
  <em>Though, it would be a twist to end all twists… </em>
</p><p>Ugh. Still no.</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her, “Just go get back to the girls before you get me in trouble.”</p><p>“Fine. But you’re missing out,” she joked, finishing her third shot and grabbing both handles of the pitchers in one hand and an empty glass with the other.</p><p>As she was sauntering off towards the outdoor seating area, where all the girls were sat, he called out after her.</p><p>“Hey! Don’t you need more glasses for the others?”</p><p>Turning around and walking backwards, she smiled mischievously at him, “Mason, baby, come on. These are just for me.”</p><p>He shook his head, laughing quietly.</p><p>
  <em> Well, that was fun.  </em>
</p><p>She reached the girls, all of them sitting around in uncomfortable as fuck silence. </p><p>
  <em> And this isn’t going to be at all. </em>
</p><p>Tension filled the air. The boys could probably feel it from the rooftop. Hell, astronauts could probably feel it from space.</p><p>She sat down beside Lottie, putting her drinks on the coffee table, poured herself a glass and drunk it faster than if she was doing a keg stand.</p><p>
  <em> Let me just drown my sorrows.</em>
</p><p>After a few more moments of the world’s most awkward silence, Hope cleared her throat.</p><p>“Well… this is nice…”</p><p>Jess snorted into her glass, which earned her a glare from Hope.</p><p>“I think we should probably use this time to clear the air a little,” Hope carried on, “Does anyone want to go first?”</p><p>“Sure,” Jess piped up snippily, “Let’s start with you shall we? Why’d you make out with Lucas?”</p><p>She wasn’t even mad about it; she just really didn’t like the way Hope was acting like she was the only one not involved in the drama. Like she was above them all. </p><p><em> Pfft. Please. Like I didn’t notice how you couldn’t </em> <em><strong>wait </strong> to tell me about Priya and Lucas. Looking like a kid on their birthday. </em></p><p>“Right, because <em> I’m </em>the one you need to worry about around Lucas.”</p><p>Priya cleared her throat, twisting her hands in her lap as she spoke, “Jess, I would really like to apologise. The whole thing was so stupid and I really regret it. I never meant to hurt you.”</p><p>“No? What the hell did you think would happen when I found out two of my friends conspired against me in some childish plot instead of just talking to me?”</p><p>“I just wanted to see if his head could be turned. It was wrong. I’m so incredibly sorry, you have no idea how much. I know I should have talked to you about it and I really regret that I didn’t. The whole thing was stupid, I made a mistake, but please believe that my intention was never to hurt you.”</p><p>Jess didn’t say anything. She didn’t know <em> what </em>to say. It still hurt like a bitch.</p><p>Quietly, Priya added, “And I’m really sorry for dragging Bobby into it. He didn’t want to be part of it, I kind of forced him to -”</p><p>“Ha! Forced him? As if. He’s his own person, he made this choice on his own.”</p><p>Lottie chose that moment to jump in, “Actually, I spoke to Bobby earlier and -”</p><p>“And what? Now you’re here to defend him too? Save it.”</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes, “Get off it Jess, he’d never <em> deliberately </em> hurt you. There’s no fucking way he’d want to be part of this, he would fight for you always, every time, no matter what. That boy worships you and your friendship. Stop being fucking stubborn, because you <em> know </em>it’s true.”</p><p>“Actually, I don’t.”</p><p>
  <em> Don’t you? </em>
</p><p>“I gave him no other choice Jess,” Priya explained, “I told him about the plan and then I walked off and executed it without warning. He told me multiple times that he wasn’t going to help me and I still did it anyway. This was all me, none of this is his fault.”</p><p>Jess shrugged and refilled her glass of sangria, having now started on the second jug and feeling rather tipsy. She was still so <em>angry</em>. And hurt. She wasn’t ready to listen about Bobby. She didn’t want to forgive him right now. She just wanted to wallow in self-pity. Or rage. Or whatever feeling was dominating her emotions at any given time. She was leaning into the turmoil, and honestly? It felt amazing. Like she’d set alight the part of her that gave a shit and now she was untethered, free.</p><p>“I truly am sorry. I hope you can forgive me,” Priya said, her voice soft and sad.</p><p>Sighing, Jess shrugged again. Thing was, she didn’t care about Priya all that much. Yeah, she’d hurt her, but nowhere near as much as Bobby did. So, in the grand scheme; merh. She no longer had any energy to dedicate to giving a fuck about her.</p><p>“Look, we have to live together for the foreseeable future so it would be easier for everyone if we weren’t at each other’s throats. So, sure, I will probably forgive you, hell, we might even be able to be friends, or, at least, friend-<em>ly </em>. But I just don’t trust you and I won’t ever again. I can’t let my guard down around you. I think I’m being fairly reasonable in saying that,” Jess told her, taking a tiny bit of pleasure in how Priya’s face dropped a little as she nodded in understanding.</p><p>
  <em> What is wrong with me tonight? Is it weird that I’m kind of here for this new bitchy attitude? Why did I ever care about people before? This is fun. </em>
</p><p>“Will you forgive Bobby?” Lottie asked her, cutting straight to the part that Jess wasn’t ready to think about yet.</p><p>“He didn’t do it, he wouldn’t,” Priya whispered quietly.</p><p>
  <em> God. Can I not just be mad at him for a moment? Can they not see I’m trying to drown in my feelings? Fuck Bobby. Fuck the world. </em>
</p><p>Ignoring them both, Jess put on a cheery voice, “I think we should be focusing on girl troubles right now.”</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes at Jess knowingly. She hated how astute Lottie was. </p><p>“I think you’re right Jess!” Hope jumped in, “Why don’t you go next Lottie?”</p><p>Sighing, Lottie turned to Hannah, who thus far had just been staring daggers at her, “I think the challenge got out of hand today and-”</p><p>“Oh really?” Hannah cut her off angrily, “What <em> exactly </em> got out of hand Lottie? Was it you trying to steal <em> another </em> one of my partners? Are you going for a Villa record?”</p><p><em> Oh fuck. </em>The hurt and anger Jess could see on Hannah’s face matched the pain she felt from Operation Less. Her heart broke for the girl; Hannah may not be her favourite person, but Jess damn well empathised with her feelings in that moment.</p><p>When they had chatted earlier, mostly as a distraction from her own problems, Jess had given Lottie a piece of her mind about kissing Henrik like that. Lottie had insisted she wanted to be with Gary and she’d just got all messed up, not entirely sure where her head was at. While Jess <em> did </em>understand - exhibit A; that fucked up kiss with Bobby - she did stress that it was unfair to both Gary and Hannah and she needed to take responsibility for her poor choices.</p><p>Apparently, Jess gave great advice. Still couldn’t <em> take </em>advice though.</p><p>“It was a mistake, I’m really sorry about-”</p><p>“No!” Hannah screeched, “A mistake is <em> once!</em> This is a fucking pattern! I let it go when you kissed Gary, while we were <em> still in a couple</em>, but I’m sick of you swooping in and trying to get between me and my partners! And I’m sick of nobody giving a shit about it!”</p><p>Hannah looked around at all the girls, angry tears at the corner of her eyes as she tried to blink them back, “None of you had my back. Why is it ok for Lottie to do this to me but it’s not ok for me to be hurt by it? I’m just trying to find love and you all act like I’m the bad guy here, when actually, I’ve done nothing to hurt any of you!”</p><p>Speaking softly, Jess started, “Hannah, I-”</p><p>Hannah swung towards her, pointing an angry, accusatory finger at her and screaming “No! You’re the worst of all of them Jess! You <em> knew!</em> You <em> knew </em> and you never told me! In fact, you tried to orchestrate them to get together. You act like you’re high and mighty and better than everyone here but you’re NOT! You pick and choose who you stand up for and it’s not ok!”</p><p>Jess sat there, a little stunned actually. Because Hannah was right; she <em>should </em> have said something to Gary when she found out about the kiss with Lottie. But she hadn't. Hadn’t even <em> tried</em>.</p><p>She could feel everyone’s eyes on her but she was just looking at Hannah. The girl she had trampled over in the beginning, dismissing her as annoying, who was now standing there, chest heaving with anger, truly fucking hurt. She was fucking right to call her out like that. Jess had fucked up.</p><p>Guilt and shame spiralled uncontrollably through her, adding to her laundry list of emotions.</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit, I’m a bad person. </em>
</p><p>Slowly, Jess nodded her head, “You’re right.”</p><p>Hannah’s shoulder slumped as though the fight went out of her and she frowned, “What?”</p><p>“You’re right. I’m sorry. It was a really shitty thing for me to do, I… suck.”</p><p>“Oh,” she said in a surprised voice and took a seat quietly, turning to gaze out at the view, twisting her hands together, looking deep in thought.</p><p>Everyone else went silent too, nobody knowing what to do or say to ease the tension in the air. Normally Jess would try to help, but she couldn’t. She felt like complete and utter shit. She wasn’t sure she knew which way was up anymore. Between hurting Hannah and Bobby hurting her; she just felt <em>awful.</em></p><p>After a few minutes, Lottie broke the silence, “I’m really sorry too.”</p><p>Hannah glared, vitriol spitting out of her as she spoke, “I do <em>not </em> forgive you Lottie! You may have liked Gary and I can understand that, but you came between me and Henrik for <em> fun</em>, and I’m sick of being pushed around by you!”</p><p>Jumping to her feet, she started to storm across the lawn but paused suddenly, spinning around to scream, “You are going to wish you never crossed me!”</p><p>Jess knew she should probably be there for Lottie. Probably help her through her Hannah problem, but she just couldn’t. Things were too messed up. <em>She</em> was too messed up.</p><p>She couldn’t think straight, not sure if she wanted to scream or cry or go and hide forever. All she knew was that she really didn’t want to sit around and play happy families with the rest of the girls. She needed to get out of there. Fast.</p><p>She wasn’t even aware of leaving the girls, or stumbling across the lawn, or even into the Villa, but suddenly, she slammed into a hard body and felt hands gripping her arms, stopping her from falling over. </p><p>Blinking a few times to clear the haze from her vision, she found herself looking at Lucas; his face full of concern.</p><p>Smiling softly, he cupped her cheek with one hand, “Rough night?” </p><p>She didn’t know why, but in that moment Jess decided she was done being careful. She was a fuck up anyway, may as well add another thing to the list. </p><p>“Want to make it rougher?” she purred seductively, biting her lip.</p><p>
  <em>Awful line Jess.</em>
</p><p>Perhaps she was just a little more drunk than she thought she was.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow in surprise but it quickly morphed into a smug grin, “I’m sure I can do that.”</p><p>Jess hummed in her throat as his lips touched hers and he drew her in for a powerful kiss that made her toes curl at the intensity of it. It felt like he was trying to claim her and <em> fuck, </em>did she want him to. She wanted him to numb her. From everything.</p><p>The harder and deeper he kissed her, the more her mind settled, the more she let her body take over, the more she let herself breathe. In the back of her mind, she knew it was just masking her problems but she frankly couldn’t care less.</p><p>Grabbing her ass, Lucas suddenly lifted her off the ground and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, not breaking the kiss as she clawed at his back in her desperation to be closer.</p><p>Stumbling blindly through the lobby, Lucas eventually made his way to the lounge, kicking the door closed behind him before falling down on the couch, bringing Jess down so she was straddling his lap. In this new position, Jess could feel all of him pressing against her and she let out a groan as she rolled her hips against his.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. So good. </em>
</p><p>Lucas’s fingers grappled at the hem of her dress, pushing it further up her hips so he could run his fingers across the skin on her lower back, tracing the line of her panties with his thumb as his kisses grew sloppy and needy, both of them moaning into each other's mouths.</p><p>And then, out of nowhere, her mind wondered what it would feel like to kiss Bobby like this.</p><p>
  <em>Wait. Fuck. So not fucking cool.</em>
</p><p>She faltered, pulling away from Lucas, unsure if she should continue. But he took the opportunity to start trailing kisses down her throat, sucking at her pulse point and occasionally running his teeth across skin, and it felt really good.</p><p>Shaking all thoughts from her mind, she threw her head back, focusing on the feeling of his hands which were now making a slow trail up and down her thighs. She pulled at the buttons of his shirt desperately, yearning to feel his skin against hers. She needed him closer. He needed to help her forget.</p><p>To forget about Bobby and how - <em>Shit. No, no, no. </em></p><p>Pushing it down into a dark recess of her mind, Jess grabbed the bottom of her dress, pulling it up and over her head in one quick movement, leaving her in just her thong. Lucas growled in his throat as he stared at her, the sound was so fucking hot, it sent aching want shooting through her core.</p><p>Suddenly, the door slammed open; the sound jolting them both. </p><p>Jess swung her head to find herself looking directly at a red-faced, flustered Gary as his eyes widened and took in the scene before him.</p><p>Lucas immediately put his arms around Jess and pressed his chest to hers, presumably to cover her up a little, while Jess just kind of sat there, shocked.</p><p>
  <em> Thank fuck one of us is onto it. </em>
</p><p>“Oh shit! Fuck. Sorry, I… fuck,” Gary stammered out, shifting around on foot to foot, one hand still on the door knob, eyes darting around room awkwardly and face getting redder and redder.</p><p>“Gary! For fucks sake, can you just leave?” Jess said incredulously.</p><p>“Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Shit,” he took a few awkward steps back and forth as though he got confused and wasn’t sure which way was the exit, even though he was standing in the doorway. </p><p>Jess was honestly tempted to laugh. A little at how flustered he was, but also because that’s the <em>second</em> time they’ve been cock-blocked by Gary-fucking-Rennell. Did she accidentally send out a bat signal? Did he have a weird sixth sense about her and Lucas hooking up? Seriously. What the hell?</p><p>Apparently, Lucas felt the same because he let out a chuckle and said, “That’s twice Gary, third time’s free.”</p><p>Gary gave him a horrified face but thankfully managed to <em> finally </em> figure out how to work the door he was holding. <em> Fucking idiot! </em></p><p>Once the door was shut and they were once again alone, Jess turned to look at Lucas, shock and amusement written on both of their faces as they burst out laughing.</p><p>It felt so fucking good to laugh. How long had it been? All day? Had she even laughed today at all? Or at least since the challenge? She let it wash over her, revelling in the feeling, letting it fade the embarrassment she’d felt at being caught pretty much naked on top of a fully clothed Lucas. Fuck.</p><p>Soon, she couldn’t even remember what she was laughing at; just the fact that Lucas was also laughing would start her back up again. They both clung desperately to each other as they tried to calm down.</p><p>Eventually, once they’d gotten hold of themselves, Lucas groaned, throwing his head back, “Damn it.”</p><p>“I know,” Jess empathised.</p><p>
  <em> Stupid fucking Gary. Twice. Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Lifting his head back up, Lucas gave her a cocky look, one eyebrow raised, “Raincheck?”</p><p>Jess tilted her head as she studied Lucas for a moment. To be honest, she was kind of surprised that he wasn’t the problem today. A bit shocked that he was the one person who had made her laugh since all the shit went down.</p><p>Who would have thought that Lucas would be the guy she needed today?</p><p>Maybe he was someone she could lean on.</p><p>Maybe she actually liked him.</p><p>Maybe she should stop fucking thinking about Bobby.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Do I have to tell you not to jump?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wanna know a fun fact? No? Too bad. There is a scene in this chapter that was the very first thing I wrote and is the whole reason I wrote any of the rest of this stupidly long fic. </p><p>Thanks for reading my life story.</p><p>Where were we? </p><p>Oh yeah. Summary.</p><p>A break up. A date. A choice. A breakdown. A fight. A make up.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We have a guest POV!!! </p><p>It was never the plan to include anyone else's POV, but then last week I was like #yolo and swapped the original text out. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite knowing she absolutely shouldn't, and begging herself not to, Jess <em>hadn't</em> been able to stop thinking about Bobby. All fucking night. It kept her awake, infested her mind, drove her up the fucking wall.</p><p>So, now, not only was she starting to feel hungover as fuck, she was tired and a little grumpy. Not a great combination.</p><p>At about 5am, she'd had enough of her stupid brain and thought it would be a great idea to do some yoga; hoping that a little bit of quiet and some breathing exercises would help centre her again, get her mind off the Villa. Or, more accurately, Bobby.</p><p>Had it worked? Of course it fucking didn't.</p><p>Every time she forced him out of her head, he came straight back in again.</p><p>Her mind just kept swirling around and around. Starting with how she desperately wanted things to be okay between them, moving on to how she was still a little hurt, sliding past how she wanted to believe he wasn't part of it, and going right back to her just wanting to forgive him.</p><p>
  <em>Goddamn it.</em>
</p><p>Hindsight was twenty-twenty and this morning she wondered if maybe she'd been a bit of a drama queen last night.</p><p>Yes, ok, Priya and Bobby had <em>technically</em> betrayed her trust. But fuck, they’d known each other less than two weeks. Why did she let them affect her so much?</p><p>If she sat down and thought about it, would she have even cared that much if Lucas <em> had </em>kissed Priya? Honestly, no. She would have dropped Lucas like a hot potato and moved on with her life. No big deal.</p><p>Then again, if she <em> were </em> being honest with herself, the only reason she was upset at all was because of Bobby. And if she were <em> truly </em>honest, she’d have to think about why that was. But she wasn’t thinking about either of those things. Choosing instead to believe that this was all because he was meant to be her friend. There definitely wasn't any other reason why he had her so twisted up.</p><p>Right?</p><p>
  <em>Fuck!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You were meant to <strong>not</strong> be thinking about this!</em>
</p><p>Giving up on yoga, she dropped her wonky as shit Warrior II pose and sat down on the step that lead into the gym area, burying her face in her hands.</p><p>With no idea how long she'd sat there for, mind racing so fast she could barely keep up, she practically jumped out of her skin when someone cleared their throat right next to her.</p><p>Her head jerked up and she found herself staring into golden caramel eyes that made her heart race and breath catch. It had recently become a thing that happened when she looked at Bobby. Very recently. As in yesterday. Like late afternoon yesterday. Ish. Maybe.</p><p>But she didn't have time to dwell on it because looking at Bobby swarmed her with a whole raft of far more dominating emotions. Tension pulled every muscle in her body taut, sadness gripped her heart in a vice and hurt clogged her throat.</p><p>To top it all off, Bobby looked <em>awful. </em>Still in his pj's, standing with his shoulders slumped, head hanging heavy, no light or laughter in his eyes. It was like someone had taken all the brightness she normally saw in him and snuffed it out. Guilt shot through her as she realised maybe <em>she</em> did that to him. She stole one of the things she loved the most about him; his smile.</p><p>She wondered if he felt the same about her because looking at him was like holding a mirror to the feelings inside her. All of it, reflected on his face.</p><p>Wordlessly he offered her the mug that was in his hand, but she hesitated. It felt like a peace offering. One she wasn't sure if she was ready to take yet.</p><p>Bobby gave her a sad smile, his voice deep and rough like he'd been up all night too, “It's just a coffee, if yer nae ready tae talk, it's okay.”</p><p>“Thanks,” she mumbled, accepting the cup and holding it in her lap.</p><p>Silence fell upon them like a thick, heavy fog. She kind of wanted to look away, but couldn't; locked in his gaze as they both tried to think of something to say.</p><p>Bobby's face twisted up for a second, like he was unsure, then said, “I, ah, was just about tae make eggs on toast if yeh want some?”</p><p><em>I mean... I <strong>am</strong> hungover. And, well, he's offering. </em> <em>It doesn't <strong>have</strong> to mean anything more than that right?</em></p><p>“Sure, thanks,” she said with a small nod.</p><p>As she got to her feet he raised his eyebrow but didn't say anything as they moved across the lawn towards the kitchen.</p><p>God she loved it when the Villa was quiet; no sounds except for the occasional bird chirping. It was dark, with only the faintest peep of light trying to pop up from the horizon. It almost felt like they were the only two people in the world. </p><p>Or, maybe her brain was just a mess from the lack of sleep.</p><p>She couldn't stop herself from filling the silence on their walk, but honestly, it might have been better if she'd said nothing at all, “You look like shit.”</p><p>The tiniest huff of amusement left him, “I <em>feel</em> like shit tae be fair, pretty hungover and, well... yeh know,” gesturing between them.</p><p>“Same,” she whispered.</p><p>“Tae both?”</p><p>Jess paused, unsure if she was willing to admit it, but apparently her mouth was, “Yeah.”</p><p>Taking a seat on a barstool, she slumped over the counter and watched as Bobby walked around, clumsily getting out ingredients and cookware to start cooking.</p><p>As she watched him breaking eggs into a bowl - apparently they were having scrambled eggs - she muttered, “You realise you're like one step away from making French toast right?”</p><p>His eyes flashed with amusement for the briefest of moments before his face clouded back over, “I knae. That's a - I did nae want tae... taint it, I guess, by using it as an apology.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>She wasn't really sure what to say to that. It was... so... thoughtful.</p><p>He pierced her with a look and she knew what was coming; the dreaded 'talk'.</p><p>
  <em>God no.</em>
</p><p>“Jess, I just -”</p><p>She cut him off with a wave of her hand, “Not till I've finished my coffee okay?”</p><p>“Fair,” he said with a shrug, going back to cooking.</p><p>It wasn't that she didn't want to forgive him; she'd already establish she <em>wanted</em> to. Or, well, her dumb brain wanted to. It spent all night long trying to tell her to.</p><p>She just didn't want to have the stupid awkward make-up chat right now.</p><p>Really, she was just delaying the inevitable. The part where she was a fucking pussy and forgave him. Because honestly? She missed him. It had been less than a day and she fucking <em>missed</em> him.</p><p>Deep down, she believed - or maybe hoped - that Bobby wouldn’t hurt her on <em>purpose</em>. They were best friends. He cared about her. She couldn't have got that wrong; she saw it in his eyes all the time. He made her feel safe and secure; like she could always count on their friendship. Count on him.</p><p>Plus, could she <em>really</em> stay mad at him?</p><p>Probably not.</p><p>She wasn't mad right now.</p><p>Because, despite no words being spoken as they ate their breakfast, that little bastard was still being adorable as fuck. Every so often, after she'd take a sip of her coffee, he'd lean over and look into it, then scoffed when she still hadn't finished it. And every time he did, she looked away, not wanting him to see her smile. It was very irritating just how much she was enamoured with his antics.</p><p>As he did it again, for the tenth time, she chastised him, “I'm gonna drink it slower if you keep doing that.”</p><p>He grinned at her, the smile <em>almost</em> reaching his eyes, “I'd wait all day fer yeh.”</p><p>She couldn't stop the flutter in her chest.</p><p>
  <em>Ugh.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's the worst.</em>
</p><p>After they'd finished up, she came around the counter and helped him with the dishes; her washing and him drying. And when they were done, she smirked at him over the rim of her mug, making a massive show of finishing the last drop.</p><p>His eyes danced in amusement as he watched her, the corner of his mouth quivering like he was trying not to enjoy this so much.</p><p>Then, not wasting a single moment, he immediately asked, “Are yeh ready fer the speech then?”</p><p>“There’s a whole speech is there?”</p><p>“I mean, yeah, figured I owed yeh one.”</p><p>She waved her hand, gesturing he go ahead and he took a deep breath, staring at her with intense conviction on his face.</p><p>“I really am sorry Jess. I never had any intention of going along with Priya's plan, I would <em>never</em> do that. Not tae <em>you. </em>I tried to give yeh a head's up, but things were awkward with us because of the k- er, challenge, so I delayed it and I was just…” he shrugged, awkwardly shuffling on his feet before he mumbled, “Enjoying your company. I should have told yeh straight away and I <em>hate</em> that I broke yer trust.”</p><p>He tilted his head to the side, now looking like a sad, kicked puppy, “What yeh said yesterday, I just - I want yeh tae know that I <em>do</em> feel the same. I feel <em>more</em>. Because, well, I kind of, ah, yeh are...”</p><p>With a drawn out sigh, he ran his hand over his face before he looked at her again, “Yeh are <em>so</em> important tae me, yeh mean so fucking much to me.”</p><p>His words tugged something inside her, something she didn't really understand. All she knew was that a tingling sensation washed over her, starting with her scalp, travelling down her body and moving to her toes. Like when you watch those stupid ASMR videos.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god.</em>
</p><p>See? She'd fucking called it. She fucking knew she'd forgive him. Goddamn she was a fucking pushover.</p><p>But that didn't mean she was going to make it easy. Obviously.</p><p>“And…?” she prompted.</p><p>Bobby gave her a confused look, “And… I will try not to be even partially involved in any more schemes…”</p><p>“You better not. And…?”</p><p>“I’ll apologise to Lucas?”</p><p>“Eh, if you want to. And…?”</p><p>He threw his hands in the air, frustrated, “Just tell me what yeh want me to say.”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at him, “<em>And </em> I’ll make you baked goods every day for a week.”</p><p>“Jesssssssss…” he whined.</p><p>She raised her eyebrow expectantly at him.</p><p>“Ugh. Fine. Deal.”</p><p>“Great,” she beamed at him for a second before taking a more serious expression, “Bobby, thinking that you’d been part of it <em>really</em> hurt, but I do believe that you weren’t the mastermind, rather an unwilling pawn.”</p><p>“Yeah?” he said, voice hopeful.</p><p>“Yeah. And, well, as much as I hate to admit it... I kind of hate not being friends with you.”</p><p>
  <em> Gross. Why did you say that? What happened to not making it easy? </em>
</p><p>Bobby gave her a blindly bright smile, the kind that lit up his face and made his eyes crinkle in the corners, “Oh. My. God. Yeh are a fucking <em> melt!” </em></p><p>“Shut up,” she huffed, irritated with both herself and him.</p><p>Of course he didn’t shut up, instead, he cackled away and sarcastically said, “I can’t believe the nicest thing yev ever said tae me is <em> ‘I hate not being friends with yeh’. </em> What a declaration Lass!”</p><p>“No it isn’t! I say plenty of nice things to you!”</p><p>“Oh like <em> what?” </em></p><p>“Well… like… er,” she stumbled, her mind blank even though she was <em> sure </em> she had, “Um… Oh! I say nice things <em> about </em>you.”</p><p>He let out an even louder bark of laughter, his expression incredulous, “Holy <em> shit </em>Jess! Are yeh saying yeh talk to the others about all the things yeh like about me?”</p><p>
  <em> Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> How the fuck had he turned this conversation around so I’m the one on the defensive? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Crap!</em>
</p><p>“Fuck I hate you,” she muttered grumpily, her irritation getting worse and worse the longer he gave her that stupid self-satisfied look.</p><p>“Ha! No yeh don’t,” he sing-songed smugly.</p><p>Jess reached out to playfully push him but he surprised her by grabbing her wrist and giving it a tug so she had no choice but to fall against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her in tight against him, resting his chin atop her head.</p><p>She wanted to resist, but as soon as she felt her skin touch his, warmth and calm spread throughout her body and she couldn’t help but to melt into him. She really <em> could </em>have stopped herself from putting her arms around his waist. But she didn’t. She didn’t even try. In fact, she even squeezed him closer.</p><p>
  <em> So embarrassing. Why are you such a melt for this boy? </em>
</p><p>“I hate not being friends with yeh too, Lass,” he whispered.</p><p>Everything about the hug made happiness seep into her bones. His words, his warmth, his sweet cinnamon scent. <em> Everything. </em>It engulfed her, drowning the entire world out. She couldn’t help but feel this was probably the most safe she had ever felt in someone's arms.</p><p>Sighing contentedly, she closed her eyes, listening to his heart beating in his chest. It was loud and fast and she couldn’t help but think that it’s rhythm matched hers. Like they were in sync.</p><p>Just as he went to pull away, she tightened her grip, unwilling to let go so soon. Without a second of hesitation he stayed put, running a hand up and down her back soothingly. </p><p>God, hugging him felt so fucking good. She felt like herself again. He re-energised her.</p><p>“Are you two just gonna stand around all day like that?” Hannah's annoying voice called from somewhere next to them.</p><p>Jess felt Bobby's head shift, presumably to look at Hannah, but he didn't release his grip on her.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the plan,” she answered for both of them.</p><p>Bobby chuckled, the sound causing little quakes in his chest and arms that she could feel in her whole body.</p><p>“Alright fine, be weird then,” Hannah scoffed.</p><p>“Bye Han,” Bobby called out.</p><p>After a few more minutes, Bobby whispered, “Yeh really want tae do this <em> all </em>day? I’m down, just checking.”</p><p>“Eh, I feel weirdly committed to it now.”</p><p>Still not even attempting to move, he laughed, “So does this mean yeh forgive me?”</p><p>“That’s what friends do.”</p><p>Part of her just wanted to keep her eyes closed and not talk at all, just enjoy the closeness and how his touch soothed her soul. Apparently Bobby had other ideas. </p><p>
  <em> Ugh. Why did he always want to talk about it? </em>
</p><p>“We’re still friends?” he asked cautiously.</p><p>“No, not really, I usually have uncomfortably long hugs with people I’m not friends with.”</p><p>Chuckling, he shrugged, “Sounds like something ye'd do.”</p><p>Finally pulling away, she tilted her face up, an affectionate smile on her lips meant for only him. Though it created only the smallest distance between them, she still felt it. It felt wrong. Like she should just find some super glue and fuse herself with him forever.</p><p>
  <em> Omg. Stop being so fucking weird. </em>
</p><p>He was staring down at her and she couldn’t place the look in his eyes. Or maybe she just didn’t want to. Whatever it was, her blood started pounding in her ears as he lowered his face to hers. </p><p>Was he going to kiss her? Did she want him to?</p><p>Holy shit, kind of.</p><p>Pressing his forehead to hers, he lightly rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and whispered, “Boop.”</p><p>As he spoke, his breath brushed against her lips and suddenly her mind flashed back to what it felt like when he'd kissed her yesterday. Specifically, how amazing it had felt.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. No. You’re not doing this. You’re not thinking about this. </em>
</p><p>Letting out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding, she pulled back, stepping entirely away from him, ignoring the chill she felt.</p><p>Now, with some significant distance between them, she no longer felt dazed and confused. No longer was thinking about closing the distance between them. No longer felt completely and utterly overwhelmed. And she was <em>not</em> going to start questioning why that was. Not now. Not ever.</p><p>Mostly as a distraction, she looked around the Villa, surprised no one was around. Though the sun was only <em>just</em> out, she expected to at least see Hannah; had assumed that her presence meant the rest of them were rousing too. </p><p>She had to admit, she was glad to be wrong in this case. How fucking weird would her and Bobby have looked, just standing there, hugging. Especially after all the shit last night. Oh crap. How bad did it look on TV? Fuck. What if Bobby <em> had </em>been involved in the plan? What if she’d just mugged herself off in front of everyone? Shit.</p><p>“Yer overthinking something Lass.”</p><p>Swinging her eyes to his, she found him leaning against the opposite counter, smirking knowingly at her.</p><p>“You don’t know me,” she scoffed.</p><p>Whatever he was going to say next was cut off by the slamming of the main Villa door - the one visible from the kitchen - and Gary, face red with anger, was storming across the lawn.</p><p>Seconds later, Lottie walked out, “Gary, fuck, we need to talk about this!”</p><p>Gary threw his arm up in a gesture that told her to shut up and continued to make his way towards the kitchen, leaving Lottie to stare angrily behind him.</p><p>Moving closer to Bobby, Jess whispered, “Have you talked to him yet?”</p><p>“Er, no. I was kind of… distracted last night, um, worried about me and you,” he said, shuffling on feet.</p><p>Jess nodded her understanding before smiling brightly as Gary entered the kitchen, “Hey Gaz, you alright?”</p><p>Looking surprised, as though he didn’t know they were there, Gary looked up, eyes darting between the two of them. Sighing, he nodded gloomily, but didn’t say anything. Her heart <em> broke </em>for how fucking sad he looked.</p><p>Opting for a cheery voice, Jess said, “Bee was just telling me he needed someone to spot him in the gym!”</p><p>
  <em> Two birds, one stone; they could talk and Bobby might actually do some weights. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Not that he didn’t look great as he was. I mean, those hip dips... </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shit. Stop. </em>
</p><p>Gary perked up at this idea, looking at Bobby with excitement, “Oh yeah? Let’s go then Bobo!”</p><p>Grabbing her arm, Bobby gave her an annoyed side-eye. It was a <em> ‘I’m going to kill you’ </em> look and she had to fake a cough to hide her laugh.</p><p>“Sure big man,” he mumbled, sending Jess a glare as he started out towards the gym.</p><p>Never one to resist the opportunity to jest with either of them, Jess called, “Don’t you dare correct his form Gaz, yours is shit!”</p><p>“Fuck off Jess!” Gary laughed.</p><p>Gasping loudly, she exclaimed, “Do you speak to your nan with that mouth?”</p><p>Gary threw her the fingers and Bobby turned quickly, mid jog, and shot her a grin.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, I would take a bullet for those two. Right here, right now, let’s go. </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After his 'gym' session, Bobby was busy moping around. Well, some would call it moping, others would call it hiding out from The Jess and Lucas Show. He’d obviously seen them making out a few times, but hadn’t realised just how into each other they supposedly were. And now he was freaking the fuck out. It would be just his luck to walk in on them. </p><p>Just as Gary had walked in on them last night. Fucking, apparently. Not for the first time either. Which was super great. He was cool with it. He wasn't jealous. At all.</p><p>
  <em> Ok, fuck, fine, I’m jealous as fuck. </em>
</p><p>A little because <em> he </em> wanted to be the one fucking her, but also, because he knew if he had the chance to, he would decline. He wanted her to <em>fall</em> for him, not have sex with him. He didn’t want <em> another </em>friends-with-benefits situation. Especially not with her.</p><p>And that was the worst part about his crush; the part he hated the<em> most. </em></p><p>Er, well, actually, he couldn’t forget about the fact that she wasn’t into him. Oh, and that his heart fluttered uncontrollably every time she was near him. Or that, even though he knew it would crush him, he still wanted to touch her all the time, to just be close to her. Then there was that part where he was an absolute fucking <em> fool </em> for her and would literally do <em> anything </em>she asked of him.</p><p>Right. So. In conclusion, <em> everything </em>about this crush was the worst part.</p><p>
  <em> Well. That makes me feel better.  </em>
</p><p>Bobby did, however, feel strangely comforted in the fact that he wasn’t alone in his pathetic moping state. Gary had it just a little worse than him. He’d <em> had </em> Lottie. She was <em> his</em>. And then - in Gary's opinion - she changed her mind and had announced to everyone that she was more into Henrik.</p><p>Bobby had tried to make the guy see sense; explain that this is Love Island and things like this were always going to happen and he should try to make things better. But Gary was still spiralling, still refusing to talk to Lottie, still living in his self-made house of pity.</p><p>To be fair, Bobby got it. Because, despite Jess forgiving him, he still felt guilty about what had happened.</p><p>And, he was still a little angry.</p><p>Actually, <em>super</em> fucking angry. At Priya. On behalf of Jess. </p><p>He’d always felt protective of Jess. Since day one. It’s funny to him now, that all those times he’d stood up for Jess, were all because he liked her and hadn’t realised it yet. Past Bobby was an idiot. Hell, present Bobby wasn’t faring any better.</p><p>Driven by his anger, when Priya sought him out for a chat, he accepted.</p><p>The fact that talking with her reduced the chances of him seeing Jess and Lucas - and whatever they were up to - didn't hurt. Not that all his actions were directly linked to what Jess was doing. Nah, that’d be crazy.</p><p>Regardless, he was laying back on the loungers, Priya in the one next to him while she rambled a messy apology that he was only half listening to.</p><p>Having had enough, he interrupted her, voice coming out a little harsher than he meant, “Yeh really hurt Jess and <em>nothing</em> yeh say will fix that. Yeh were being selfish and irresponsible. Yeh had so many other options, hell, I even gave yeh a few, but instead yeh chose tae go with the most underhanded one and fuck yer friend over. And not just her. Yeh purposefully made me look like a fucking asshole and yeh almost cost me my relationship with Jess.”</p><p>Priya winced, “Bobby, I’m sorry that -”</p><p>“No. I <em>get</em> that yer sorry, but that dinnae change that she was hurt. That <em> yeh </em>hurt her. Not tae mention yeh fucking hurt me too.”</p><p>“If I could take it back I would!” she practically screamed at him, causing a few of the others to look over at them.</p><p>Sighing, she lowered her voice, “I fucked up. I regret it. I won’t ever do it again, lesson learnt. There’s nothing else I can say.”</p><p>He ran his hand over his face in frustration, “Why did yeh even have tae drag me into it?”</p><p>Priya looked at her hands, twisting in her lap, “I thought it was a good idea at the time. I... I told Jess everything… I couldn’t <em>stand</em> the way you looked, like she’d destroyed you. I felt awful and I wanted to fix it.”</p><p><em> Oof. </em>The reminder fucking hurt.</p><p>He couldn’t reply to her, too overwhelmed with the memory of the way Jess looked at him.</p><p>Priya added softly, “Bobby... I thought it was just a silly little meaningless crush. I... well, I <em>thought</em> that you only liked her because you spent so much time together, that if you didn’t, you wouldn’t feel like that.”</p><p>“It dinnae work like that Priya,” he muttered bitterly, kind of annoyed that it didn’t; that he couldn’t just turn his feelings on and off, like a tap. It would be so convenient.</p><p>“I know,” she whispered, “I just… I didn’t know you liked her <em>that</em> much. As in, <em> really </em> liked her. You have to believe that if I <em> had </em>known, I wouldn’t have dragged you into it. I wish I’d never a- came up with the stupid plan.”</p><p>Bobby couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her; she came to find love too and just made a mistake. He wanted to stay mad at her for hurting Jess, he really did. But fuck, he found it hard to hold a grudge. It just wasn't in him.</p><p>Well, except when it came to Lucas.</p><p>But there were other reasons for that particular grudge.</p><p>“I would hate it if this ruined our friendship,” she said, eyes looking pleadingly at him.</p><p>The look on her face reminded him of how he felt looking at Jess earlier. As though the thought of not being friends was a fate far worse than death.</p><p>“Come here then,” Bobby said, holding his arms out to her.</p><p>With a grateful smile on her face, she leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. It almost reminded him of his hug with Jess earlier. Well, except, without the deep sense of longing clinging in his chest. And without the elevated heart rate. Oh, and the feeling of complete safety and calmness. </p><p>Most distinctively, it was without the feeling of being home.</p><p>He closed his eyes, overwhelmed once again by his feelings for Jess.</p><p>Just as overwhelmed as he'd been when he very nearly told Jess how he felt. Very nearly fucked everything.</p><p>Still, he couldn't help but wish he had.</p><p>He wanted her to be his.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>So far, today had been the worst. And it was only mid-morning for fuck's sake.</p><p>Not only was Jess <em>still</em> a little hungover, Lucas was doing her fucking head in. Again.</p><p>He'd been nothing but a perfect partner yesterday, no jealousy in sight and it had felt like they were moving in the right direction. But today was a whole different kettle of fish.</p><p>Earlier, he had pulled her aside to question her decision to forgive Bobby and interrogate her about why Hannah told him they'd been 'getting really close' in the kitchen. She had started to deny the latter, but, well, it was true, and let's just say he had not been happy about this.</p><p>They hadn't really spoken since but now, apparently, everything was great between them.</p><p>When Jess had gone to sit on the beanbags with the other Islanders, Lucas came up and sat down on the same one and, wrapping an arm around her waist, had whispered an apology in her ear. What? To be honest, she didn't have the energy to bother fighting him on it; just accepted her fate and his hug.</p><p>Though, the reason she couldn't be arsed caring didn't actually have anything to do with Lucas.</p><p>She <em>might</em> have been distracted by something else.</p><p><em>Possibly</em> Bobby and Priya.</p><p>They were currently playing in the pool together and, for some reason, Jess felt unreasonably irritated by this. She found it difficult to keep her face neutral as her skin literally crawled every time she heard one of them laugh.</p><p>Obviously Bobby could do what he wanted; she didn’t control him, nor did she ever want to. She just thought that he shouldn't be so forgiving. Priya had <em>wronged</em> him, and Jess kind of wanted to pull her hair out for it. She wouldn’t. She’d be nice to Priya. But that didn’t stop her from <em> wanting </em>to.</p><p>And god did she fucking want to.</p><p>She just hadn’t expected them to go straight back to being a happy couple. Back to doing... whatever it was they did before yesterday.</p><p>Jess didn’t really know how she felt about <em> that. </em></p><p>In any case, her irritation for sure didn’t have anything to do with the fact that she kind of wanted to be the one in the pool with Bobby right now. Maybe a little. But luckily, she didn’t have to think about <em> why </em>that was, because she was saved by the bell.</p><p>
  <em> Ding. </em>
</p><p>Everyone looked around for a moment, trying to figure out who’s phone went off, all shrugging as they came up blank.</p><p>“Oh shit, is it mine?” Bobby called out from the pool, slowly wading over to the edge, Priya in tow.</p><p>“Should I go get it?” Lottie smirked, nodding to where his stuff lay on the lawn a few steps away.</p><p>Hope laughed, “Yeah, do it!”</p><p>Leaping from her seat, Lottie ran over, picking up Bobby’s phone just as he was lifting himself out.</p><p>“Oi!”</p><p>Lottie cackled as she waved Bobby's phone at him, “Should I see what you’ve got on here?”</p><p>To Jess’s absolute fascination - partial horror - Bobby blushed a deep red, picking up his pace as he hurriedly tried to reach Lottie.</p><p>Looking down, Lottie’s face turned into a massive smirk as she held the phone up towards Bobby, and, from where she was standing, everyone could see it too, “Why do you have a picture of you and Jess as your lock screen?”</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I keep forgetting about that.</em>
</p><p>Just as Jess was about to start laughing about it, she felt Lucas tense up beside her and it was as though a bucket of cold water had been tipped over her, extinguishing her humour.</p><p>
  <em> Ugh. This again? Fuck my life.</em>
</p><p>Thankfully, everyone else thought it was kind of funny. Well, everyone except Bobby, who didn't make the situation any better by practically snatching his phone guiltily from Lottie. Jess felt like facepalming at this whole ridiculous thing.</p><p>Rolling her eyes, she explained, “We both did it when we were drunk. I never bothered to change mine back either.”</p><p>Lucas looked down at her, scowling, “What? <em> Your </em> phone has a picture of you and Bobby?”</p><p>
  <em> Oh, fucking get over it. I’ve reached my limit Lucas, I swear. </em>
</p><p>“Honestly Lucas, my personal phone has a picture of me and one of my mates who I’m not even close with. I don’t understand why this is a thing. Who cares?” she looked at Bobby, smiling brightly, “What’s the text Bee?”</p><p>He looked at his phone and said, “Good news or bad news?”</p><p>Everyone sat up a little straighter as Noah chose, “Bad.”</p><p>“Right, there’s a recoupling tonight. Girls will choose.”</p><p>Ignoring all the anxiousness that settled over everyone else, Jess prompted, “And the good?”</p><p>He grinned, “Tae help them decide who tae choose later, the girls will also be choosing which boy they want to take on a date today!”</p><p>All the Islanders hopped to their feet, all excited about getting some one-on-one time.</p><p>Jess was fucking estatic. They might not be in an amazing place right now, but maybe a little time away from the Villa would be just the thing her and Lucas needed.</p><p>
  <em>Ding.</em>
</p><p>Hannah smugly read the text, announcing she got to choose first in a tone that sounded like she was a little too excited by this news.</p><p>The feeling of impending doom grew stronger as Jess watched a calculating smile spread across Hannah’s face.</p><p>Looking directly at Lottie, she smirked, “I choose Gary!”</p><p>
  <em> Damn, that’s fucking bold. </em>
</p><p>“What?!” Lottie screeched, “You fucking -”</p><p>Jumping to her feet, Jess quickly closed the distance between her and Lottie and yanked her back around, cutting off what was sure to be an embarrassing display of emotions from Lottie. As Lottie made eye contact with her, Jess gave a quick shake of her head.</p><p>Lottie stomped her foot, “But she doesn’t even want to-”</p><p>“Shh babe. It’s just a date, it’s fine.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“She <em> wants </em>you to go off. Fucking chill,” Jess told her, eyes wide and pleading for her to just let this one go.</p><p>Lottie gritted her teeth together before nodding once and turning back to give Hannah a shrug. It was mostly casual looking. Sort of. Not really.</p><p>Meanwhile, Gary was standing there, eyes flitting between the two girls, looking like he’d just been told one of them was a lizard and he’d have to repopulate the world with them. </p><p>
  <em>Christ. It’s only date one. Please don’t tell me it’ll all go like this.</em>
</p><p>Lottie seethed with anger as they all watched Gary and Hannah walk off to the Villa to get ready for their date. Jess hated to admit it, but Hannah <em> did </em> say she was going to get Lottie back, and it <em> was </em>kind of a good plan; it had worked after all. Even if it was a little underhanded, and, in general, a dick move.</p><p>Jess wasn't paying attention as Hope picked Noah, no surprises there, and now, Priya was standing there, biting her lip as she debated who she was going to pick.</p><p>Unable to stop herself, Jess felt tension seep through her muscles as she watched Priya’s eye flick between the five of them still standing around. Her eyes landed on Lucas and something shifted in her face that Jess couldn’t put her finger on. Anger? Longing? Hatred? Desire? Jess had nothing. </p><p>Whatever it was, Jess’d be lying if she said she didn’t feel a little worried Priya would choose him. Especially after last night.</p><p>Suddenly, Priya smiled brightly and said, “Want to go on a date with me Henrik?”</p><p>Henrik looked as surprised as Jess felt, even as he took her hand and walked towards the Villa with her.</p><p>
  <em> Um, what? I thought at the very least she’d pick Bobby? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Had this whole Island gone nuts? </em>
</p><p>As it turns out, Jess wasn’t wrong. At all.</p><p>After getting a text saying she had the next choice, Lottie stood there, looking indecisively between Lucas and Bobby. Humming and harring far longer than Jess had expected her to.</p><p>What the fuck? Surely she was going to choose Bobby.</p><p>It felt like Jess was watching a live action horror show as she made eye contact with Lottie. She looked almost pained by her internal struggle. Whatever was going on inside her head was clearly very stressful.</p><p>Jess couldn’t even begin to imagine what had her so stressed.</p><p>Unless.</p><p>
  <em> Wait, hold up, does she like Lucas?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No fucking way.</em>
</p><p>Jess’s stomach dropped to the floor; she felt like she could start hyperventilating at any moment. She just… It was… Her mind was fucking blown. There’s no fucking way Lottie <em> actually </em> liked Lucas. That would be like chalk and cheese. Surely.</p><p>Fuck. What if she <em>did</em> like Lucas? Oh god. First Priya wanted him, now Lottie? Since when? This whole time? Had Lottie just not found a way to tell her?</p><p>Did Jess want to stand in the way of them getting to know each other? It's just a date right? Lottie had the right to explore things with him if she wanted.</p><p>
  <em> Ah shit. Fuck. Ok. Damn it, Loz.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shit, shit, shit.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, I’m so going to regret this. </em>
</p><p>Pulling together her best chill face and forcing as much cheerfulness into her voice as she possibly could - which was hard given the fact that she was about to give away her chance to go on a date with Lucas - she smiled at Lottie, “Hey Loz, why don’t you take Lucas out? I’ll go with Bobby. We’ll have a great time right Bee?”</p><p>Bobby looked at her in surprise, “Uh, yeah,” he said hesitantly. </p><p><em> Ok Bee, don’t be <strong>too</strong> excited. You’re not the only one Lottie’s thrown for a loop here. Jesus</em>.</p><p>Lucas scowled at her and whispered, “What? You’re joking right?”</p><p>She shrugged and looked at Lottie, “It’s up to you babe. I don’t mind either way, I’m just pumped to get out of the Villa, take whoever you want.” </p><p>
  <em> Please don’t actually though. Like, come on. </em>
</p><p>Lottie smiled and looked at Lucas, “Will you go on a date with me Lucas?”</p><p>
  <em> Fuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkk. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fine. </em>
</p><p>Lucas shot Jess a disgusted look before looking at Lottie and nodding, “Sure.”</p><p>Giving him an uncharacteristically shy smile, Lottie mumbled something about getting ready and went off into the Villa.</p><p>Bobby shifted around on his feet, looking between her and Lucas then said slowly, “I’m going to go get ready too…” and walked off, looking back over his shoulder at Jess before he went inside.</p><p>As soon as they were alone, Lucas turned to her and, not surprisingly, he looked <em> fucking </em>pissed, “What the <em>fuck</em> was that?”</p><p>She threw her head back in frustration, “I <em> know</em>. I’m sorry. Look, it was clear Lottie wanted to ask you but didn’t want to offend me, so I just... offered.”</p><p>“What about me?” he screamed, shocking her with his aggression, “I should be the one you are most concerned about! What about what <em> I </em> want huh? You never put me first! We could be going on a date right now, but instead you’ve chosen to go with <em> him!”</em></p><p>Deliberately <em> not </em> raising her voice and instead keeping it calm and conversational, she said, “Do you think I’d <em>rather</em> be on a date with him? It's not true, I wanted to go on a date with <em>you</em>. But this is Love Island, honestly, who gives a fuck? It’s not like a date is really that big of a deal.”</p><p>Lucas continued yelling, sending irritation shooting through her, “It is to me! Now I have to spend the rest of the day, wondering what you’re doing with Bobby!”</p><p>“Oh for fuck's -” she ran a hand through her hair in frustration, “Literally <em>nothing</em>. We will be hanging out, that’s all.”</p><p>Lucas laughed bitterly, his scowl intensifying to the point where she almost didn’t recognise him, “Oh you mean how you hang out with him, every second of every day in the Villa normally?”</p><p>“I…” she trailed off, not really sure what to say; he had a point, “I didn’t really think about it, I just…”</p><p>“Just what, Jess? Just wanted to go out and fuck Bobby?”</p><p>And, just like that, she was <em> pissed</em>, “<em>Excuse</em> me?”</p><p>“Why else would you choose him?”</p><p>“I <em> didn’t </em>choose him, I got to pick last!”</p><p>He scoffed, “No, you just <em> offered</em>. You threw yourself up on a platter for him.”</p><p>“<em>Actually</em>, I put <em> you </em> on a platter for <em> Lottie</em>,” she knew she was being facetious and took a deep breath, trying to rein it in, “Listen, I’m sorry, I didn’t think-”</p><p>“You’re sorry? Oh thanks, that makes me feel <em>so</em> much better. All is forgiven. It’s totally fine that you’re cheating on me, no problem!” </p><p>At this point, she was sick of it all. Sick of Lucas yelling at her. Sick of having to constantly defend her relationship with Bobby. Sick of his fucking jealously. She had officially reached her limit. </p><p>In the back of her mind she knew it was the anger - possibly also the hangover - talking, but she felt done. Done with all his bullshit. Done with feeling like shit because of him. Just. Fucking. <em> Done!</em></p><p>Finally raising her voice too, she spat out, “You know what Lucas? I’m so beyond done with all of this! You treat me like absolute <em> shit</em>. You clearly know nothing about me, if you did, you’d <em> know </em> there is no way <em>anything</em> is going on with Bobby. And if there was, you’d know about it. Who do you think I am? This,” she gestured between them, “Is over. We are done. Broken up. Finished.”</p><p>Lucas froze, his face a picture of shock. Honestly, she kind of found it funny. Surely this wasn’t <em> actually </em> a surprise? How many times did he think she’d let him push her around for? Well, if past history was to go by, she guessed he thought he could get away with it forever. Hell, even <em> she </em> thought she might let him. Jesus, she still <em> might</em>.</p><p>“You… you can’t mean that?” he choked out.</p><p>Though not entirely sure if she actually <em> did </em>mean it, she doubled down, “Oh, I most certainly do. I hope you have a good date; you’ll need to find someone else to walk all over from now on!”</p><p>With that, she stormed off towards the Villa, purposefully slamming the door as she went inside. Like a child. It felt amazing.</p><p>Even though rage was still flooding through her, she couldn’t help but notice she actually felt a little relieved.</p><p>What did <em> that </em>mean?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby stood out the front of the Villa waiting for Jess and it was safe to say he was fucking thrilled.</p><p>Hewas going on an <em> actual fucking date </em> with Jess. The girl of his dreams. Literally. He had dreams about this. Even before he knew he liked her.</p><p>He couldn’t believe his luck. No idea really what had happened on the lawn, but grateful for it anyway.</p><p>But excitement wasn't all he was feeling. He was also <em> really </em>fucking nervous. </p><p>Part of him wanted to sweep her off her feet, show her exactly how it would feel to be with him. But the bigger, more practical part of him <em> knew </em>he shouldn't. Because, as much as he wanted to be with her, he couldn’t actually tell her and risk what they had. Nor did he want to make things complicated for her. She had enough going on.</p><p>Besides, he knew with absolute certainty that she didn’t feel the same about him.</p><p>So, with a heavy - but still kind of excited - heart, he hoped it wasn’t <em> too </em>romantic. He needed to channel ‘Bobby the friend’ vibes if he was going to get through this date unscathed.</p><p>
  <em> Jess is going to fucking ruin me. </em>
</p><p>He didn’t have to wait much longer to find out just how much either.</p><p>As the entrance doors opened, and Jess stepped out, his breath caught in his throat. </p><p>She was wearing a long-sleeved, sheer lace top that was tucked into a pair of high-waisted leather shorts, showing off every inch of her long legs. The part that <em> really </em>got him though was that under the top, she was wearing a pretty skimpy bralette that put her cleavage on display through the lace.</p><p><em> For god’s sake. Lace? You <strong>had</strong> to wear lace? </em> </p><p>Wearing a bit more eyeliner, her eyes looked a darker shade of blue, the kind you lost yourself in, and she had a black flower holding her hair to one side, curls trailing down her front. She was fucking goregous. Truly something out of a wet dream.</p><p><em> Chill out man, you’ve been on this date for all of two seconds</em>.</p><p>She stopped dead when she saw him and started laughing, “Holy shit, we’re a matching set!” </p><p>Looking down, he remembered that he had put on leather pants, paired with a casual black t-shirt, and grinned back at her, “It’s the black parade!”</p><p>“Oh? Are you taking me into the city to see a marching band?”</p><p>He chuckled at her, kind of impressed by her picking that up. <em> Why does she have to be so perfect? </em></p><p>“Eh, I don’t really feel like dealing with yeh calling me father for the rest of the day, so I hope nae.”</p><p>Giggling, she studied him for a moment, eyes roaming down his body and making awareness shoot through him. </p><p>“You look fucking <em> hot </em> Bee!” her tone slightly husky, and it drove his hormones into overdrive.</p><p>Trying to act normal, he cheerfully said, “Yeh one tae talk Lass.”</p><p>She waved her hand at him dismissively, as per usual, and walked over to him. Linking her arm in his as they walked to the car.</p><p>Once inside, she turned to him excitedly, “I hope we’re doing something fun!”</p><p>Her excitement was infectious, and he decided he was just going to chill out and stop thinking about this as a date; just regular Jess and Bobby, hanging out. </p><p>“Me too! What would yeh choose? What’s yeh ideal date?” </p><p>“Ooo… tough one! I dunno… I like lots of things. Maybe something fun like laser tag, or those trampoline parks, or maybe interesting, like a weird painting class in the park, or going to a museum…” she trailed off, clearly deep in thought about all the things she liked to do.</p><p>“Okay Miss I-want-it-all, yeh can only pick one. Imagine a first date. Best idea. Go.”</p><p>She tilted her head as she looked at him, “Ugh, Fine. Well, first dates are always weird so maybe just something simple, like a pub. Then you could eat, get a little tipsy, play doubles in pool with some people you met there, maybe a sloppy first kiss outside the bar while waiting for your taxi. Sounds perfect to me.”</p><p>He had to admit he liked the sound of it, or at least the way she described it, “Casual, relaxed, no pressure; I like it.”</p><p>“Yup! And fun! What about you?”</p><p>“I ‘ave it planned out. An arcade bar!” </p><p>He wasn’t going to tell her that he had actually thought of it <em> because </em> of her. How crazy is that? <em> ‘Oh Jess, I know we’re just friends, but I have already thought about what we’d do on the off chance we were more’</em>. Yup, crazy.</p><p>She leant over the middle seat, excitement on her face, “No way! I love that!”</p><p>Was he excited that she liked his idea? Yeah. Obviously.</p><p>“Aye, have a few drinks, have a  Tekken tournament, maybe a few rally races. Just good old friendly competition, beer and laughs.”</p><p>She nodded along, “Maybe place a few bets on the games. Have your first kiss at like, I dunno, the whack-a-mole station while he <em> ‘shows you how to hit’</em>.”</p><p>He gasped, pretending to be offended, “Jess! Everyone knows yeh have yer first kiss at the photo booth!”</p><p>“Sorry Bee, you didn’t <em> mention </em> the photo booth. Obviously it has to be there.”</p><p>They both laughed for a bit and he couldn’t stop his heart kicking up a beat as she smiled at him. God, she had a gorgeous smile.</p><p>Suddenly, she sighed, her face turning sombre, “Too bad we’re in the Villa. I think both of us have had our first kisses with everyone in bloody challenges. Takes the fun out of it.”</p><p>“Nae I dinnae think it would change it <em> too </em>much.”</p><p>She shrugged, looking out the window, “It takes that nervous energy out of it. You know the <em>‘Is he going to kiss me? What will it be like?’</em>... All the best bits of a first kiss...” </p><p>Unable to stop it, his mind drifted to their kiss yesterday, and the one before that. He knew without a doubt that kissing her for real would feel nothing like it did in the challenges. Not that they weren’t great, just that, it would feel so much better knowing that she was kissing him because she really fucking wanted to.</p><p>“Those aren’t the best bits,” he said quietly.</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s the butterflies. The part of yeh that cannae fucking believe yer getting to kiss the person yeh want to kiss. It’s different because neither of yeh <em> have </em> to do it, yeh <em> want </em> to.”</p><p>She studied him for a moment before rolling her eyes, “You’re a tuna melt.”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>Thankfully he didn’t have to withstand all the talk about kissing for too much longer. Finally arriving at their destination, they got out, and walked along in the direction they were told.</p><p>The location was stunning. A cliffside picnic, with a panoramic view of the ocean. It was perfect; the sun was bright and warm, the breeze slightly chilly, and on the grass there was a beautiful picnic blanket laid out, with large fluffy cushions everywhere and a picnic basket to the side.</p><p>Clearly excited, Jess skipped over and flopped down onto some cushions, sighing contently as she threw her arms out. With a laugh, he joined her and watched as she sat back up and looked into the picnic basket on her side.</p><p>“Well,” she said, turning to smile at him, “It’s not our idea of a perfect date <em> but </em>it has got the common theme from them!”</p><p>He raised his eyebrow at her, not able to stop his heart from pounding, even though he <em> knew </em> she didn’t mean first kisses.</p><p>“Booze!” she exclaimed, pulling two bottles of champagne out of the basket and held them high in the air, her arms stretched out wide, as though she was delivering a prize.</p><p>Which, for Bobby, it kind of was a win. Drowning his sorrows and all that.</p><p>Taking the bottle she offered him, they both popped the corks, cheersed to “hair of the dog,” and took big swigs, straight from the bottle. As was custom now.</p><p>Reaching back into the basket, Jess pulled out a large platter of food, setting it down in between them; an assortment of cheeses, breads, dips, pastries, fruits and sandwiches.</p><p>After they both made piles with the cushions so they could lean back against them and stretch their legs out in front, they got stuck in.</p><p>As they ate, they took turns telling each other dating horror stories, turning it into a competition as they laughed through their past pain.</p><p>They had both finished their bottles of champagne, plus shared a third, and he was definitely feeling a little tipsy. The view - let’s be honest, he meant her more than the ocean - the sun, and the amazing conversation, all left him feeling a little sentimental. This was the best date he’d been on in a while and she didn’t even know.</p><p>Once they had finished the food, she moved the platter to the other side, and closed the gap between them, until they were almost touching. Laying back on the picnic blanket, hair spilling out under her, a content smile painted her face as she looked up at him. Just looking at her made him smile too. She just looked <em> so </em> relaxed and happy, albeit a bit tipsy.</p><p>In that moment he <em> really </em> wished they were on a real date. He wished he could <em>tell her</em> he wanted this to be a real date.</p><p>Pushing back his feelings, Bobby moved so he was laying next to her, leaning up on his elbow so he could still look down at her.</p><p>“You know you’re my favourite, right?” she whispered, making his heart stutter.</p><p>Before he could stop himself, the words tumbled out of his mouth, “What’s yer favourite thing about me?” </p><p><em> Kill me now</em>.</p><p>“I didn’t realise this date included a fishing expedition Bee,” she joked, eyes filled with amusement.</p><p>He laughed loudly, kind of awkwardly, and attempted to take it back, “Yeh dinnae-”</p><p>“Nope. Let me think,” she cut him off, staring at him like she was trying to read his soul. </p><p>Deep in thought, Jess went silent for a long moment, and he took the opportunity to study the planes of her face. Because of course he did. He couldn’t help it. It was just so easy for him to lose himself in her.</p><p>“Yeh cannae even think of <em> one </em> thing?” he interrupted jokingly, but secretly it stung that she was thinking so hard.</p><p>“I was trying to think of my <em> favourite</em>. Not to make your ego any bigger but there’s a lot that I like about you.”</p><p>That was the second time she'd said something like that today and this time, he couldn’t think of what to say. Instead he just stared at her. Like an idiot. </p><p>Giggling at his reaction, she reached a hand to his face, touching her fingers lightly to his cheek, “Top three. I like your freckles; I always want to reach out and touch them. I also like the way your eyes crinkle when you smile, like you’re so happy, your face struggles to contain it.”</p><p>He grinned at her and she moved her fingers to brush the corner of one of his eyes, “Yeah, like that.” </p><p>Her voice was so soft, eyes looking at him with such tenderness; it felt like a moment. His heart was practically beating out of his chest now and all he wanted to do was lean down and kiss her. They were already so close and fuck did he want to. </p><p>But he couldn't. He'd already been close to kissing her once today, and she'd practically jumped from him.</p><p>Part of him resented the fact they were on a date right now. He wanted to be on this date with someone he had no feelings for; it would be ten times better than this fucking <em> torture</em>.</p><p>“But my <em> favourite </em> thing about you is the way you don’t take my shit. It feels like I’ve met my match, like you’ll always keep me on my toes,” she crinkled her nose a little as a thought occurred to her, “Actually, it’s also the thing I like least about you. Sometimes I just want to shout,<em> 'stop being immune to my charms and be my bitch Bobby'!”</em></p><p>“That’s nae going tae happen Lass.”</p><p>Dropping her hand from his face, she giggled, “I know Bee. I love to hate it.”</p><p>“Do yeh want to know my top three fer <em>yeh?”</em></p><p>She rolled her eyes, “Obviously.”</p><p>Feigning a frustrated sigh, he groaned, “<em>Fiinnnee. </em>I like how when yeh roll your eyes, yeh do it with yer whole face.”</p><p>Showing her exactly how dramatic she looked, he did his best imitation of her and she burst out laughing, the sound washing over him, filling him with warmth.</p><p>“I do not do that!”</p><p>“Yeh do! I also like the way yeh always have this skip in yer step, like yer always happy and excited and can’t help doing a little hop. But my <em> favourite </em> is how yer such a smartass but in this quick, clever and witty way.”</p><p>Something shifted in her eyes; the amusement in them faded, replaced by something else. He couldn't put his finger on what it was but all of a sudden the air around them sparked to life.</p><p>Her voice was choked as she tried to tease him, “You have a thing for smart girls huh?”</p><p>“I <em>definitely</em> have a thing fer smart girls,” he whispered, inexplicably finding himself leaning his face closer to hers, as if drawn by a magnet.</p><p>He watched her swallow before she quietly said, “Well <em>I</em> might have thing for -”</p><p>
  <em> Ding.</em>
</p><p>Bobby barely managed to hold back a groan as frustration filled his bones. Lifting her phone between them, Jess sighed defeatedly, “Ugh. They want us to talk about the recoupling before we go back.” </p><p>Great. A perfect opportunity for Jess to tell him about all the feelings she has for everyone but him. <em> Fuck the producers are wankers</em>.</p><p>They both sat up, facing each other cross-legged, even though his pants made the position slightly uncomfortable.</p><p>
  <em> Well. This is going to suck. </em>
</p><p>“So, Bobby, are you hoping Priya will pick you?” she asked, trying to be serious but her eyes glittered with amusement at having to sit here and have this weird conversation just for the cameras.</p><p>
  <em>No. I want <strong>you</strong> to pick me.</em>
</p><p>Instead of saying that, he shrugged, “Yeah, I like Priya, that would be good.”</p><p>“Right…” she nodded but her face was pulled into a small frown.</p><p>Hoping she wouldn’t go on too much about how much she likes Lucas, he just decided to get this stupid thing over with, “Are yeh picking Lucas?” </p><p>To his surprise, she turned her head to look out at the view, “Things are… well… it’s… I haven’t really figured out how I feel... about Lucas.”</p><p>
  <em>Wait, what? </em>
</p><p>“I mean, yer pretty loved up, right?”</p><p>
  <em> Didn’t they shag last night? Oh shit. Maybe Lucas is a bad lay? </em>
</p><p>He kind of hoped it was true. It would be hilarious. That would <em> absolutely </em>make Bobby’s day.</p><p>Jess was silent for a moment before she answered, “It’s complicated.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh right. It’s not funny. Jess is struggling. Concentrate. </em>
</p><p>Leaning sideways, he tried to catch her eye and she reluctantly turned her head back to him, her expression full of uncertainty. It crushed him.</p><p>“Yeh can always talk tae me,” he said softly.</p><p>She let out a small groan of frustration, “You say that now, but you are <em> so </em> not ready to hear about my Lucas angst.” </p><p><em> Nah, probably not, but whatever</em>.</p><p>“Fire away.”</p><p>She eyed him for a moment and then, seemingly satisfied with his sincerity, took a deep breath, “Ok. So, I don’t understand why he’s so jealous all the time. Like, I have given him no reason to doubt that I’m loyal. I am so fucking loyal that I refused to kiss him till we were coupled up, despite only being in friendship couples <em> and </em> getting permission from the people I was with. Why would he ever think that me and -” she frowned and cut herself off, pausing for a moment.</p><p>Shaking her head dismissively at her own thought, she continued on, “It makes me feel like shit you know? Like, I’m always doing something wrong, or walking on eggshells around him. I feel like I can never just be myself.”</p><p>It took all of Bobby’s willpower to stay silent and just listen. He wanted to kill Lucas.</p><p>“When he's trying he can be so sweet and attentive and he makes me feel special. And, well, I thought I was starting to really like him. I thought maybe we could try for something… more,” she finished, staring down at her lap.</p><p>“Do yeh <em>honestly</em> think yeh could fall for him?” Bobby asked, not really wanting to know the answer, but not able to stop the question from coming out.</p><p>Still not looking him in the eye, she whispered, “I don’t know... Sometimes I do... Other times I feel like it’s too hard. But I’m worried that I’m only saying that because I’m terrified of committing, maybe I'm just finding excuses not to.”</p><p>She put her head in her hands and they sat in silence for a while. It was <em>excruciating</em>.</p><p>How could Jess think that she could fall for Lucas? She had just finished telling him that he treated her like shit. That he made her <em>feel</em> like shit. That isn’t love. Why was she so dead set on trying to make this work? It was especially annoying because Bobby knew that <em> he </em> would never make Jess feel like that.</p><p>Eventually, he had worked himself up so much that he couldn’t stop the words that tumbled out of his mouth next, “Are yeh fucking serious Jess? Lucas is a prick! He makes yeh feel <em>worthless</em>. Why the fuck are yeh even <em> entertaining </em>the idea of sticking it out?”</p><p>She snapped her head up to his, fury burning in her eyes, “Don’t ever speak about Lucas like that again, Bobby.”</p><p>He barked a sarcastic laugh, “Do yeh think Lucas would stand up fer <em> yeh </em> like that? Guess what Jess, he doesn’t. He talks shit about -”</p><p>Narrowing her eyes, she cut him off, “Ok, I get that you have a problem with him, but it’s <em> your </em> fucking problem. I really don’t give a shit if you don’t like him. I do, and you need to respect that. Our relationship is none of your business.”</p><p>He took a deep breath, trying to get his frustration under control. The last thing he wanted to do was yell at her.</p><p>Keeping his tone even, he said, “It <em> is </em>my business when yeh sit there and tell me he makes yeh feel awful. I’m yer friend Jess. It seems like yer just mad because what I’m saying is true and yer too scared to admit it tae yerself.”</p><p>“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she scoffed.</p><p>“So <em>tell me. </em>What do yeh see in him that makes yeh forgive him all the damn time?”</p><p>“You wouldn’t understand.”</p><p>“Try me.”</p><p>She huffed and threw her hands out, “He <em> sees </em>me okay. No one ever sees me; I'm just a pretty face and no substance.” </p><p>
  <em> She had to be joking right? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>This better be a fucking joke. </em>
</p><p>Gritting his teeth, he ground out, “<em>I </em>see yeh.”</p><p>“It’s not the same thing.”</p><p>“Well why not? Because I’m <em> just </em> a friend and he’s the ‘<em>total hottie</em>’ that sleeps in yeh bed?” he pressed, resentment and sarcasm spilling out of his mouth without meaning to. <em> Shit. </em></p><p>She looked at him like he’d slapped her, and a muscle in her jaw twitched as she glared at him, “Right. Because there’s <em> no way </em> I could have complicated feelings, right? All Jess ever cares about is sex.”</p><p>“Well it clearly isn't about yeh being treated with decency and respect by yer partner.”</p><p>Jess flinched at his words, her eyes flashing with hurt as she angrily got to her feet. Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked over to the edge of the cliff, staring out at the ocean.</p><p>Fuck. He took it too far.</p><p>He was genuinely sorry for what he’d said. Well, ok, not for <em> what </em> he’d said; it was the raw, unfiltered truth. But he <em> was </em>sorry that he’d said it so harshly.</p><p>Not quite sure how mad she was, he gave her a few minutes to calm down, each one passed tortuously slowly. Unable to wait any longer, he got up, putting his hands in his pockets and slowly walked over to join her. </p><p>Taking a place next to her, he looked out to the ocean too, neither saying anything for a while.</p><p>“So... dae I have to tell yeh not tae jump?” he turned and gave her a tentative smile.</p><p>Letting out a laugh, her eyes instantly changed from lost to amused, “You’re an idiot.”</p><p>“Aye, but yeh love it.” </p><p>To his surprise, she nodded and moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she pulled him in for a hug. Sighing with happiness, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin atop her head as she snuggled in close, her touch soothing his soul.</p><p>The fact that this was their second makeup hug of the day, wasn’t lost on him. Would he constantly fuck up around her?</p><p>“I’m sorry Lass,” he whispered after a moment.</p><p>She shook her head against his chest, “Don’t be, I heard you.”</p><p>“Still, I am. I was a massive ass.”</p><p>Jess gave him a gentle squeeze and pulled back enough so she could look at him.</p><p>She smiled warmly, her eyes affectionate and caring, “We’re all good Bee.”</p><p>“Good. Yeh mean a lot tae me,” he told her for the second time today.</p><p><em> More than you know</em>.</p><p>“You mean a lot to me too,” she whispered back.</p><p>It hurt that she didn’t mean it the same way.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess was surprised at how much she enjoyed the date. Not because she thought she wouldn’t enjoy Bobby’s company; she always did. More because her date had started with her breaking up with her current partner. She should be heartbroken. But she wasn’t. At all.</p><p>How did Bobby always manage to make her forget her problems? He wasn’t even trying, because he didn’t even know.</p><p>She did feel a little guilty about keeping it from him, but she wasn’t really sure how she felt yet. She wasn’t ready to tell him. To tell anyone. To say it out loud and have it be final. </p><p>She was just so fucking confused. She'd wanted to be with Lucas since he'd walked into the Villa. Had been entranced by him, had wanted him more than anyone else. She fought battle after battle in her head, trying to keep herself open to an actual relationship. <em>For Lucas.</em> He was the whole reason she had decided to try. Right? <em>Lucas</em> had convinced her somewhere along the line, made her change her mind. Though right now, she couldn't even remember when that had happened.</p><p>Why was she not devastated? Why did she want to go back in the Villa and make their break up official?</p><p>And then there was the part that really confused her.</p><p>Why had she thought about kissing Bobby? Again.</p><p>Ok, well, she knew why. Bobby looked fucking <em>hot</em>. Make your heart race, dry your throat out, make you <em>burn</em>, kind of hot. And, well, she couldn’t stop the steady stream of porno movies playing in her head since the moment she'd seen him standing outside. Instant fanny flutters. Christ.</p><p>She definitely hadn’t felt that strongly about having sex with someone in, well, ever. She had boundaries though. Meaningless sex with Bobby was where the line was drawn. It would end badly, and she could not handle it if they ever stopped being friends. Case and point: this morning.</p><p>Part of her had wished she were on a date with someone she had only purely platonic thoughts for. Ha. Even Lucas fit the bill at this point.</p><p>As they walked up to the Villa, Bobby reached out and opened the front door for her.</p><p>But she paused before walking in, trying to find the words to tell him that she appreciated him. That even though he had spoken some harsh words of truth to her, she still had the most fun she’d ever had on a date before.</p><p>
  <em> How can I tell him everything I feel for him without it being weird? </em>
</p><p>He looked at her questioningly, but, as per usual, didn’t say anything because he knew she was working through her thoughts. His words earlier came back to her. </p><p><em> I see you</em>. </p><p>How had it taken her so long to work that out? How did she not realise how much he saw her? Far more than Lucas did. Bobby <em> got </em>her. And she got him.</p><p>Why did that make her feel giddy? </p><p>Finally, she just blurted out, “I’m really glad this date was with you. I actually had so much fun Bee.”</p><p>He grinned at her, eyes glinting with happiness that was infectious, “Me too, Lass.”</p><p>“You have great first date chat.”</p><p>“This was nae our first date,” he said in an offended tone.</p><p>“Yes it was.”</p><p>“I cannae <em>believe</em> yer forgot about our breakfast date on the rooftop!”</p><p>“Oh yeah!” she laughed heartily, “I guess this was our second date then.”</p><p>“Can’t wait fer the third,” he winked.</p><p>“You couldn’t handle the third date Bee,” she lowered her voice, “I definitely put out.” </p><p>
  <em> Fuck! Why did you say that?</em>
</p><p>Cue the Bobby and Jess porno sequence in her head.</p><p>He smirked at her, “I’m gonna hold yeh to that.”</p><p>Fuck, she hoped not. And yet… </p><p>No, no. She hoped not. </p><p>
  <em> Friend. Come on Jess. </em>
</p><p>Winking at him, she walked back into the Villa. The lounge and bedroom were empty so they walked out back, finding everyone crowded around the kitchen. Jess could see from here that there were pieces of orange <em>everywhere</em>, and Gary was having what looked like a massive fight with the blender.</p><p>Henrik spotted them as they walked over and called out to them, “Hey guys! Gary is making orange juice!”</p><p>Bobby laughed and yelled out, “Oh, is tha’ what he’s doing? Looks like he’s just trying tae start shit with the blender.”</p><p>Everyone laughed and greeted them cheerfully. Well, everyone bar Lucas, who had his back turned to them and just stood there.</p><p><em> Wow, pretending I don’t exist. Ok, cool. Mature</em>.</p><p>Joining everyone around the counter, Jess and Bobby stood in the spot between Priya and Hope. Lucas was standing next to Priya, so from this position Jess didn’t have to see his face. Not that she would have cared either way, but it <em> was </em>a nice bonus.</p><p>Lottie looked over at them from her place on the other side of the counter, “So, how was your date?” </p><p>Everyone turned and looked expectantly at Jess. <em> Ugh, why always me?  </em></p><p>Smiling brightly she kept it vague, “Yeah, it was fun.”</p><p>“Oooo… and how much <em> fun </em> did you have?” Hope joked as she suggestively wiggled her eyebrows at them.</p><p>Bobby put his arm around Hope, chuckling, “Ah, stop. Yeh know it’s nae like that.”</p><p>Hannah crossed her arms and huffed, “So, like, Hope and Noah were the only ones who did anything then?”</p><p>Jess caught Noah’s eye as he blushed, and she raised her eyebrows, “Oh reeaalllyyy? Let’s hear more about that Noah!”</p><p>Still blushing, he let out a small laugh, “The best dates end in a kiss.”</p><p>“We all know you did more than kiss mate,” Gary said, causing Noah to blush more.</p><p>Lucas huffed, “Well I’d rather not hear about what anyone else’s bits, thanks.”</p><p>Gary smirked at Lucas, “Mate, you’re just sour because you didn’t get to finish off what you and Jess were -”</p><p>“Gary!” Jess yelled at him to cut him off.</p><p>Hannah gasped, “Wait, <em> I </em> want to hear what Lucas and Jess were doing!”</p><p>“Oh, well I walked into the -” </p><p>“Can we not?!” Jess cut him off again. </p><p>She did <em>not</em> want to rehash that awkward moment again.</p><p>Lucas let out a dry laugh, speaking with a bitter tone, “Don’t worry, you won’t have to witness it a third time, Jess thinks -” </p><p>“Shut up Lucas,” Jess snapped at him angrily. </p><p>Priya, sensing danger, had taken a step back so now Jess and Lucas had full sight of each other. Let’s just say she was not staring lovingly into his eyes. Meanwhile, everyone had gone quiet. </p><p>
  <em> Shit, now it’s awkward. Damn it. </em>
</p><p>Bobby loudly broke the awkward silence, “Right, who wants meh tae help poor old Gaz out?”</p><p>“I don’t need your help,” Gary grumbled.</p><p>“If yeh want orange juice before tomorrow, yeh do.”</p><p>Just like that, everyone went back to chatting, the awkward moment forgotten. Jess caught eyes with Lottie who mouthed <em> ‘are you ok?’</em>.</p><p>Not really wanting to stick around, Jess shifted her head to silently tell her they should go talk somewhere. </p><p>Lottie nodded and said loudly, “Right, I’m not standing here all day. Save me some juice when it’s done?”</p><p>Bobby looked at Jess directly and gave her a smile, “No problem Loz, I’ll bring it to yeh.”</p><p>
  <em> And this is why you’re my favourite person. </em>
</p><p>As soon as they got to the rooftop, Jess flopped onto a bench seat and let out a long frustrated groan.</p><p>Sitting down, Lottie laughingly eyed her, “That bad huh?”</p><p>“Ugh! Why does he have to be such a prick?” </p><p>“Maybe because you dumped him this morning?”</p><p>Jess snapped her head at Lottie, “How did you know that?” </p><p>“He told me on the date.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh. Of course he did. Duh. </em>
</p><p>“Don’t go spreading it around,” Jess muttered sullenly.</p><p>“I won’t. For what it’s worth, he was upset about it,” Lottie said, looking at her sympathetically.</p><p>“Sorry if it ruined your date.”</p><p>Lottie shrugged, “It didn’t. Surprisingly. He was a lot of fun.”</p><p>
  <em> Um, what? </em>
</p><p>“Oh. I didn’t see it happening between you two...” not sure what she hoped Lottie’s answer would be, she asked, “Do you have feelings for him?”</p><p>Lottie studied her for a moment, “No, I don’t.”</p><p>Huh. It didn’t fill her with as much relief as she thought it would have.</p><p>“Are you mad? That I took Lucas on the date?”</p><p>“Oh, no, of course not. Just... I dunno, maybe tell me if you <em>do</em> get feelings for him? It might be nice to have a heads up.”</p><p>Lifting her pinky out, Lottie smiled and Jess couldn’t help but feel grateful. Jess reached out and linked her pinky with hers; a silent agreement of total honesty between them.</p><p>“So… how was your date with Bobby?” Lottie asked after a moment of silence.</p><p>Kind of glad for the change of subject, Jess said, “So much fun! Honestly, I love hanging out with him.”</p><p>“And I bet that outfit he was wearing didn’t hurt.”</p><p>Groaning, Jess threw her head back, “Oh my fucking god. It’s not just me, right? That boy looks fucking hot today!”</p><p>“It definitely is just you. Did you get a few fanny flutters?”</p><p>
  <em> Yes. A lot. But I’m not thinking about that. </em>
</p><p>“We’re just friends. Absolutely would not go there.”</p><p>Lottie scoffed and rolled her eyes.</p><p>Changing the subject, because avoiding issues is Jess’s main skill in life, she asked, “So are you picking Gary tonight?”</p><p>Lottie's face fell and she muttered, “If Hannah doesn’t get to him first.”</p><p>“Shit. I hope not, though, she <em>is</em> clearly still mad. What would you do if she did?”</p><p>Lottie shrugged defeatedly, “Well, I want to see if there’s something between me and Henrik, but...”</p><p>“That would ruin your chances with Gary?” Jess filled in the blanks.</p><p>“Yeah well, they’re already ruined aren’t they? He hasn’t spoken to me all day,” she sighed deeply before shaking her head and, just as Jess had done earlier, deflected the conversation, “What about you?”</p><p>“Ugh. No idea.”</p><p>
  <em> I’m avoiding thinking about it, can’t you tell? </em>
</p><p>“What about Bobby?”</p><p>“Definitely not. He told me he likes Priya.”</p><p>
  <em> Though why he did, when Priya clearly wanted to chuck him for Lucas, I’ll never understand.</em>
</p><p>Lottie pursed her lips, but didn’t press the topic.</p><p>She had no fucking <em> clue </em> what she was going to do. Worse, she had no clue what <em> anyone </em>was going to do. Well, apart from Hope. </p><p>The entire recoupling tonight was going to be stressful as fuck. </p><p>At least she was already dressed for it so she didn’t have to have a dressing room chat with the others.</p><p>
  <em> Thank fuck for small mercies. </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bobby stood in a line at the firepit with the boys, all the girls already seated and waiting for their phones to announce who was up first.</p><p>He could feel it in his bones; this was going to be a shit show.</p><p>But with the way couples shuffled around all the time in here outside of the recouplings, did it even matter who ended up with who tonight? Why even bother with this whole charade?</p><p>Yes, he was being cynical, but honestly, he just wanted to get this over with because the longer he stood there, the more time he had to hope. Specifically, that Jess might actually pick him.</p><p>Between their chat on the date, and the way her and Lucas had snapped at each other in the kitchen, Bobby was starting to think she might not actually pick Lucas.</p><p>And that was a dangerous line of thought. It meant she had to pick someone else, and there was the smallest chance that someone was him.</p><p>He bounced from side-to-side, trying to dispel some of the tension he felt as he considered that possibility. If she <em>did</em> pick him, it would be as a friendship couple, and honestly, he didn’t know what was worse: her <em> not </em>picking him, or sleeping next to her and not being able to touch her.</p><p>Probably the latter. He’d go crazy in a matter of hours. He wanted her so much, it was embarrassing.</p><p>As though his thoughts held a direct link to her, she looked up and met his gaze. Unlike every other recoupling, where she was a beacon of happiness amongst a sea of uncertainty, tonight, she was different. Like she'd been dimmed. His palms itched at his sides with a desperate need to go to her. Touch her. Tell her it was going to be ok. Make her smile.</p><p>It occurred to him that he would do <em>anything</em> if it meant she'd stop looking at him like that; like she was unsure. It kind of threw a spanner into his whiring mind, halting all his thoughts as everything narrowed down to her.</p><p>And then she looked away, staring lifelessly as Hope stood and announced her choice. Bobby tuned out; he didn’t need to listen, he got the gist, she was choosing Noah. He felt a little bad that he didn’t care all that much about them. It’s just, they were always <em> on</em>. All the time. It was annoying.</p><p>Especially when you were busy pining for someone you couldn’t have.</p><p>Hannah was up next and he drifted out of her speech too; busy silently begging Jess to look at him again.</p><p>He was rudely brought out of it when he heard Hannah say, “Gary,” and shocked silence filled the air.</p><p>
  <em> Wait, what? </em>
</p><p>Jess reached out and grabbed Lottie’s hand as Lottie clenched her jaw and glared at the ground. To his left, Gary bitterly muttered, “Fucking great,” under his breath before walking over and taking a seat with Hannah.</p><p>
  <em> Jesus Hannah, I know you’re pissed but... fuck. </em>
</p><p>Then he immediately stopped giving a shit about it as Jess looked down at her phone, biting her lip and looking pensive as she stared at the screen for far too long.</p><p>When she finally got to her feet, he swore he could see tears welling in the corners of her eyes but she blinked and they were gone, leaving him wondering if he’d imagined it.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, she put a smile on her face that was bright and cheerful, but didn’t reach her eyes, “I want to couple up with this boy because I couldn’t imagine my Love Island experience without him. The boy I want to couple up with is... Lucas.”</p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No fucking way.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Is she fucking serious? </em>
</p><p>Bobby stood there; dumbfounded. After everything they’d talked about, she was going back to that prick? She was actually <em>choosing</em> to couple up with that asshole? Again?</p><p>A mixture of rage and disgust flowed uncontrollably through his veins as he watched Lucas kiss her on the cheek.</p><p>Why couldn’t she fucking see it? Was she blind? He didn’t fucking understand. Nothing made sense.</p><p>The only thing he knew for sure was that he was fucking <em>furious</em>.</p><p>So consumed with rage that when Jess caught his eye, he couldn’t keep the scowl of his face and she’d given him a confused look. Quickly, he averted his gaze, not wanting her to bear the brunt of his anger.</p><p>He wasn’t really angry <em>at</em> <em>her</em>. He was mad at himself. Because he’d let himself hope.</p><p>But of course she was going back to Lucas. Apparently she refused to give him up.</p><p>He was so busy trying to hold his emotions in check, he almost missed Lottie standing up.</p><p>
  <em>Shit. Focus. It's fine.</em>
</p><p>“These past few days have been really hard for me. My head is all over the place and I don’t know what to do. I’m choosing this boy because he is an amazing friend and I can’t wait to be in a nice, normal, drama-free couple. The boy I want to couple up with is... Bobby.”</p><p>Mustering as much sincerity as he possibly could, he smiled at her.</p><p>As he walked over he couldn’t help but notice the confusion on Jess’s face, but he was far too much in his head to really be able to pay attention.</p><p>All his energy went into pretending to be OK. But all he really wanted to do was be alone with his thoughts for a while.</p><p>The second Priya chose Henrik - as though she had any other choice - and the recoupling was over, Bobby leapt from his seat. Not interested in talking with anyone, not interested in seeing anyone. </p><p>
  <em>This whole thing was absolute bullshit.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jess hadn’t seen Bobby for the rest of the night. She kind of wanted to talk to him.</p><p>Ok, ok, she <em> desperately </em> wanted to talk to him. Because he'd looked <em>pissed</em>. At her. And she was worried it was because she'd chosen Lucas.</p><p>But she didn’t have a choice, did she? She’d <em> had </em> to pick Lucas. She did it for <em> Bobby</em>. Not that it had worked out how she thought it would. Still, she had <em> tried</em>. All she wanted was for Bobby to be happy. It wasn't <em>her</em> fault Lottie had chosen him before Priya could.</p><p>Ugh. She was so tangled in knots about this.</p><p>After searching the lawn, lounge, and bedroom, she thought about heading up to the rooftop. She laughed at herself. Seriously, why was she running around the Villa, trying to find someone who was not the person she was coupled up with? It was so stupid. </p><p>And yet, she continued hunting him down. </p><p>Everyone probably thought she was crazy. If anyone had asked why she was on a desperate search for him, what would she have said? <em> Oh, because he looked mad at the recoupling and then he’d just walked off and I’m low key freaking out that he might be mad at me so I need to talk to him right now. </em></p><p>
  <em> Yeah. Not crazy at all. </em>
</p><p>She was still smiling to herself about just how much of a lunatic she was being, when she opened the door to the rooftop. </p><p>Her smile dropped from her face immediately.</p><p>Sitting huddled together in the dark corner was Bobby and Priya. Their legs were touching, and, though their faces weren’t actually that close, Bobby was saying something inaudible to her, holding her face in his hands while Priya looked at him like he was everything she’d always wanted.</p><p>Her throat constricted until she literally couldn't take another breath. Her veins ran with icy panic that clutched at her and she couldn't move. Couldn't do anything except stare.</p><p>It was like one of those moments in a movie when you're worried the bad guy might actually kill the heroine. Like she was trapped, forced to watch something she didn't want to watch.</p><p>What the fuck was happening?</p><p>The only thoughts that were swirling in her mind were ones she already knew. Or at least ones she had already suspected.</p><p>She shouldn't be surprised at any of this.</p><p>But still, she was.</p><p>
  <em>Bobby actually <strong>liked</strong> Priya. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bobby was kissing Priya.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bobby was fucking Priya.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>She <em>knew</em> he liked Priya, <em>knew</em> he wanted to be with her. But being faced with it as reality rather than an abstract concept that she specifically avoided thinking about? Well, it hurt. It hurt to find him with someone other than her, clearly in the middle of, well, whatever.</p><p>Wait, <em> someone other than her?</em> Why was she putting herself into the equation?</p><p>At the same time, both Priya and Bobby turned to look at her, a little shocked at being interrupted. Slowly, Bobby dropped his hands from Priya’s face, looking at Jess with confusion and concern. No guilt at all. Why did that hurt just a little?</p><p>“Yer alright Jess?”</p><p>
  <em> Am I alright? </em>
</p><p>She didn't really know. She <em>should</em> be fine with this. All she’s ever wanted was for her best friend to be happy.</p><p>But she couldn't stop that chill that shot down her spine.</p><p>“Sorry. Shit. Fuck. Sorry,” Jess mumbled as she stepped back and shut the door. </p><p>Pressing her back to the door, she stood there, trying to gasp for air. Her chest felt burning hot, limbs too heavy to move. Hot, cold, hot, cold. On a cycle, trying to drive her mad.</p><p>Why did she feel… jealous? It didn’t make sense. None of this made any fucking sense at all.</p><p>Through the door, she heard Bobby say, “I’m going tae go check on her.”</p><p>
  <em> Nope.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck that. </em>
</p><p>She couldn’t do this right now. Preferably not ever.</p><p>So, like the absolute weirdo she is, she ran. From her best friend. For god knows what reason.</p><p>Moving as quietly and as fast as she could, she crossed the hall, went into the dressing room and locked herself in one of the changing rooms. Sliding her back down the door, she sat on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest as she desperately tried to get her breathing back under control. She was hyperventilating and she had no idea why.</p><p>Though the room was dark, she could still see her reflection in the mirror that stood against the back wall and she found herself just staring, not really comprehending what she was seeing.</p><p>The girl in the mirror wasn’t her. It couldn’t be. She didn’t recognise her at all. Whoever she was, she looked like a fucking mess. Her eyes wide, like a crazed animal, face red and blotchy as though she’d just ran a marathon. None of it made sense.</p><p>She watched, confused as the girl tilted her head and a light shone on her cheek, illuminating something sparkly.</p><p>Wait. Hold up. Was she crying?</p><p>Jess reached a hand cautiously to her face, touching her cheek and feeling moisture on her fingertips. She couldn’t do anything except just stare at her fingers in disbelief. </p><p>
  <em> When did I start crying? </em>
</p><p><em> More importantly, </em> <em>why the <strong>fuck</strong> am I crying? </em></p><p>Suddenly, memories flew through her brain with abandon, rendering her unable to stop any of them. Memories of Bobby; his knowing smirk, his laughter, his eye rolling, his smile. All of them whirled together in a blur, but all of them were of him. Making omelettes with her that first day. Laughing at something stupid she’d said. Giving her that look that told her he knew exactly what she was about to say. Throwing her into the pool. Glaring playfully at her. Smiling affectionately at her. Quirking his eyebrow like he thought she was being ridiculous. Eyes crinkling up in that way she loved so much.</p><p>And suddenly, a thought crashed into her so hard she gasped.</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I like Bobby.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh my god.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I want to be with him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>She felt numb, dumbfounded, flummoxed. She couldn’t even breath as she let the realisation slowly sink in. And with it came a deep, overwhelming sense of <em> fear. </em></p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>The concept of time had long since left her, so she had absolutely no idea how long she’d been sitting there, not moving a muscle or thinking a single thought, before someone knocked quietly on the door.</p><p>“You in there Jess?” came Lottie’s muffled voice.</p><p>“Yup, just a sec!” Jess was shocked - and really fucking grateful - at how <em> normal </em>her voice sounded. </p><p>
  <em> Right, ok, that works. I can pull this off. Act normal. Everything is cool.  </em>
</p><p>Blinking away her daze, she stood, running her fingers through her hair and brushing the streaks of tears that had dried on her face. Ok. She looked <em> almost </em>totally fine. This could work.</p><p>Mentally, she grabbed the lid of Pandora’s Box that she’d accidentally just opened up and slammed it shut. Pushing down all the want, the longing, the terror, all of it, right back where it belonged; surrounded by purposeful ignorance.</p><p>
  <em> Don’t <strong>ever</strong> look in there again. </em>
</p><p>Taking a deep, calming breath, she opened the door, smiling, “Hey Loz, what’s up?” </p><p>Lottie was sitting on a dressing room chair, waiting, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Jess, running her gaze over her face as though searching for something.</p><p>Slowly, she said, “Nothing. You?”</p><p>“I’m good!”</p><p>Not really knowing what to do, Jess sat down in the chair next to Lottie and started putting on eyeliner. Just seemed like a normal thing to do in here. She’s a girl, she wears eyeliner, she’s in the dressing room. This checks out.</p><p><em> I’m totally normal</em>.</p><p>“Riiiiight...” Lottie said, still looking at her like she thought Jess was most definitely <em> not </em>good.</p><p>
  <em>Pfft. What did Lottie know? I'm cool.</em>
</p><p>Staying silent, Lottie watched Jess pretending to focus on the eyeliner - which, by the way, was really hard - before she asked, “Did something happen with Lucas?”</p><p>“What? No. Why?”</p><p>
  <em> What has Lucas said? I hadn’t even spoken to him, instead I just glued myself to Henrik and let him natter on for half the night while I pretended I wasn’t desperate to talk to Bobby and avoiding having a ‘what does this mean’ conversation with Lucas. </em>
</p><p>“I dunno, Bobby said you were upset, and I figured it was about Lucas.”</p><p>“Oh right, yeah.”</p><p>Putting the eyeliner down - she wasn’t doing a great job anyway - Jess sat there, wondering if she should pretend to be having issues with Lucas or not. Just to get the suspicious witch off her case. It was kind of tempting.</p><p>“What <em> is </em>it about then?” she pressed.</p><p>“I don’t know what you mean.”</p><p>
  <em> Nonchalant. Vague. Nailed it.  </em>
</p><p>Lottie fixed her with a hard stare that Jess gave right back to her.</p><p>
  <em> Oh, I’m prepared to do a staring competition, all night. Let’s go. </em>
</p><p>“Jess.”</p><p>“Lottie.”</p><p>They stared at each other for a few moments, neither giving an inch. At least to the outside world anyway. Internally, Jess could feel Pandora’s Box opening up slightly in her chest.</p><p><em> Fuck. No. Please don’t break. </em> </p><p>Images of Bobby and Priya floated though her mind and she pressed her lips tight to stop them from trembling and giving her away.</p><p>Silently, Lottie held her pinky out to Jess. Jess stared at it for a moment, unsure. Did she want to tell Lottie? Shit. Did she want to say it out loud and tell the whole fucking world on TV? No. But also... Fuck!</p><p>Jess sighed, locking her pinky with Lottie’s.</p><p>
  <em> What happened to not opening the box again, huh? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Turns out, I’m weak as fuck. </em>
</p><p>Without permission from her brain, it just kind of word vomited out of her mouth, “Bobby and Priya were hooking up on the rooftop.”</p><p>Lottie knotted her eyebrows together in confusion, “Right...”</p><p>“And I walked in. And then I ran in here. And you came in. And that’s the story.”</p><p>“Ok...”</p><p>“Ugh!” Jess threw her hands in the air, not really sure why she was so frustrated. </p><p>Was Lottie going to make her say it? Did she even want to say it out loud? She had barely come to terms with it herself.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck, this is embarrassing.</em>
</p><p>Suddenly, Lottie burst out laughing. A full, hard core, belly laugh. The kind where you have to clutch your sides to try get yourself under control. It irritated Jess to no end. She was in full blown panic mode here. <em> Nothing </em>about this was funny.</p><p>When Lottie finally did calm down, she smiled smugly, “You like Bobby.”</p><p>It was a statement, not a question, and Jess dropped her chin to her chest, letting out a whimper.</p><p>God she felt pathetic. Hearing it out loud made it sound so stupid.</p><p>“Are you going to tell him?” Lottie questioned, kind of demandingly if you asked Jess. She was not impressed with this tone.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Do I need another reason besides the fact that I would never ever do that to Priya?”</p><p>Lottie gave her an incredulous look, “Even though she basically did it to you?”</p><p>“Not really a revenge plot kinda girl. Besides, <em> he </em> likes <em> her</em>. And I would never do that to Bobby,” she said, trying not to wince.</p><p>Lottie rolled her eyes as though she thought Jess was being ridiculous, “Ok, <em> would </em>you? If he wasn’t into Priya?”</p><p>“I guess the Priya thing is a moot point because no,” she let out a long sigh, and whispered, “It scares me.”</p><p>“Oh,” Lottie’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise and she let a slow breath out, “Well, I didn’t think you were going to say <em> that</em>.”</p><p>“What did you think I was going to say?”</p><p>“Some crap about your friendship being ruined.”</p><p>“Ha. Well, that too. But like, the thing is…” she trailed off, twisting her hands together, “I just know, that if I let things happen between me and Bobby, well...” she groaned and threw her head back, not able to say it. </p><p>“You’d fall for him.”</p><p>
  <em> Ugh.</em>
</p><p>Jess knew it. Felt it. In her fucking bones. If she let herself, she <em> knew </em> she could fall for Bobby, and she also <em> knew </em> he could have the power to destroy her. Look at what happened yesterday for fuck’s sake. She was miserable. She let him get to her, affect her like no one else had ever been able to do before in her life. <em> And </em>she only saw him as a friend yesterday.</p><p>Correction, she <em> thought </em>she saw him as a friend yesterday.</p><p>Imagine the absolute catastrophe that would be what once was Jess Miller, if she actually let herself be with him, fall for him.</p><p>But <em> fuck </em> if part of her didn’t want to do it anyway. Kind of like when you watch The Notebook, knowing you’re going to end up crying like a baby, but pressing play anyway. That’s how she felt about Bobby.</p><p>Except that Jess was strong. She could totally, 100%, no doubt in her mind, resist <em> starting </em>something with Bobby. No fucking problem. Just don’t press play.</p><p>
  <em> Yeah, ok, sure. </em>
</p><p>Realising she’d been silent for a while, Jess just let out a sarcastic laugh and shrugged, still not able to audibly agree with Lottie and admit that she thought she could possibly, one day, kind of easily, maybe, <em>potentially</em> fall in love Bobby.</p><p>
  <em>I hate myself. </em>
</p><p>Narrowing her eyes, Lottie said, “Why would that not be a good thing?”</p><p>“Love hurts,” she said for like the millionth time on this stupid fucking show.</p><p>Lottie’s jaw locked in barely concealed anger, “I didn’t take you as someone who was afraid of a little pain Jess.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Throwing her hands in the air, Lottie got to her feet, raising her voice slightly, “You are literally the baddest bitch I know. You’ve let everyone in this fucking Villa tear you down and given zero shits about it. Are you really going to let fear stop you?”</p><p>
  <em> Er… What is she talking about? Was she absent from the Island yesterday? Did she call in sick? I was a hot fucking mess. </em>
</p><p>“Yeah. I am,” Jess smirked, mostly just to rile her up more. </p><p>“Then you don’t deserve him!”</p><p>“I mean, that’s <em> exactly </em>what I’m saying!”</p><p>“So what are you waiting for then? Go get back with Lucas.”</p><p>
  <em> Ouch. </em>
</p><p>Standing up too, Jess spat out, “Why are you being such a <em> bitch?” </em></p><p>“I’ve <em>always</em> been a bitch, you’ve just never been bothered by it before.”</p><p>“Well I am now, so cut it out!”</p><p>“No! Just <em>tell</em> him, what’s the worst that could happen?”</p><p>“Honestly? He feels the same!” she scream-whispered, not wanting to say it too loudly, but still wanting to yell and stomp her feet about it.</p><p>She couldn’t help it; that really <em> was </em>worse case scenario. Because where would she be if he did? She'd probably be with him. With someone who could leave her heart shattered on the floor in a thousand tiny pieces. Fuck. That.</p><p>Lottie’s entire face screwed up, her fists balled up, her whole body shaking with barely contained frustration, and suddenly she yelled out, “He already feels the same! He fucking likes you!”</p><p>Jess scoffed, “Careful Charlotte, you’re starting to sound like Lucas.”</p><p>“Good. Between the two of us, maybe we can bash some sense into you.”</p><p>“Oh fuck off,” she said angrily, spinning on her heel and storming out of the room.</p><p>Jess was <em> pissed. </em></p><p>Though, if she were being totally honest, she wasn’t mad at Lottie. She was mad at herself.</p><p>
  <em> Why the fuck did you have to like Bobby? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fucking moron! </em>
</p><p>She had everything she wanted with Lucas. She liked him and he would make a good partner - once he got over his jealousy issues. He was attractive, he was safe, secure, occasionally fun, mostly relaxed, he <em> liked </em>her. It would be so easy to pack up her feelings for Bobby and move forward with him. So fucking easy.</p><p>But it wasn’t fair.</p><p>Because she would never feel this with Lucas. She <em> has </em>never felt this with Lucas. This all-consuming fear. When she thought of Lucas and her feelings for him, her hands didn’t shake, her face didn’t grow hot, her heart didn’t speed up, her breath didn’t become short, her mind didn’t go blank.</p><p>Lucas could <em> never </em>hurt her, because she knew she would never love him enough. She would never feel enough for him. And, well, that sucked.</p><p>Twisting her lips, she paused on the steps of the Villa, watching Lucas for a moment. Alright, she was really just delaying the inevitable, wondering if she could get away with not having this conversation tonight.</p><p>But that also wasn’t fair.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Lucas had taken a seat on the coping, dangling his feet into the pool, his shoes and socks sitting beside him. His entire being felt tense and his heart hadn’t stopped pounding its insanely fast beat since she’d said his name earlier that evening.</p><p>He didn’t like this feeling one bit. Which is why he was drowning his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle of scotch he’d stashed away the other night. Slowly letting the alcohol spread warmth through his body and create a haze in his mind. Numbing him. How had he allowed himself to get so spun in a web over a girl?</p><p>Because she’s not just any girl.</p><p>She was special.</p><p>He’d known it from the moment he’d seen her on screen. Even after eleven days in the Villa, he still had not been able to figure out why. All he really knew was that there was something about her that spoke to his very core.</p><p>She was truly beautiful. Quit your job, ditch your friends, move across the country, and disown your parents just for a <em>shot</em> with her, beautiful. Helen of Troy beautiful. Hell, <em>before</em> he’d disown his parents, he might buy a thousand ships just to launch them on her behalf.</p><p>That wasn’t it though. He’d known loads of beauties in his life. In fact, he had hundreds of gorgeous girls who had wanted to date him. </p><p>He let out an involuntary whimper as it suddenly occurred to him that instead of being here, obsessing over if Jess still liked him or not, like some forlorn angst-ridden adolescent, he could actually be buried deep inside one of those girls right now.</p><p>But alas, he wasn’t. Because as much fun as that would be, all of those girls <em>bored</em> him. </p><p>He wanted someone like Jess in his life. Someone who would look amazing on his arm, be able to hold a conversation with his colleagues, and would happily sneak off to have hot, sweaty sex with him, unbeknownst to the other guests. He needed someone to challenge him, fight with him, force him to have fun.</p><p>He was determined; had been since day one. That person was <em> going </em>to be Jess.</p><p>She just needed to see it too.</p><p>He'd entered the Villa with his goal in mind and was so incredibly happy that she wanted him too. He was mature, strong, intelligent; all the things he thought she would be able to let her guard down for. It was his attempt to get her to stop fucking around with the losers she usually ‘dated’ - aka fucked - and start her journey towards a more serious life. With him.</p><p>But he’d made a grave miscalculation.</p><p>He had not factored in how awful being in the Villa was. How much it amplified your insecurities. How confusing everything was. </p><p>Nor had he realised how <em> hard </em>some people in here were playing the game; determined to win at all costs, manipulating everyone around them to get what they want.</p><p>So what had he done?</p><p>He'd played just as hard.</p><p>From the moment Jess told him she'd miss Bobby if he'd left, Lucas had known what he'd had to do. He had to separate them. Drive a wedge so deep Bobby couldn't worm his way out. Because if Bobby was still in the picture, Lucas would always be insecure with Jess, always be prone to letting his emotions take hold. And Jess, well, she’d never give Bobby up.</p><p>God he hated that guy.</p><p>It would have been so easy to just type in Bobby and Priya's name that night; he knew he'd have enough votes for it. Instead, he'd purposefully split the vote knowing they'd stay in the Villa; Jo and Ibrahim would have had the most public votes to leave. And he'd done it for the sole purpose of making it fucking hurt. Making Bobby suffer.</p><p>Lucas wasn't an idiot. He'd known since the beginning that Bobby would fall for Jess. Their chemistry was so obvious, even on TV. They were so perfect for each other it made him sick.</p><p>But, all he had to do was make sure <em>she</em> didn't fall for Bobby.</p><p>Of course, he hadn't done a great job at that.</p><p>But it wasn't <em>his</em> fault. It was the Villa's. And the people here. Everything had gotten into his head; all his jealousy and insecurity brought to the surface. Making him doubt Jess. Doubt himself. Doubt their relationship. Everything would become too much and he felt like he was going to explode. And so he had. At Jess.</p><p>He hadn't meant to. He didn't want to. But he had.</p><p>It was almost funny, in a sad and heart-breaking way, recalling the previous times he’d argued with her. Even while he was accusing her of things he didn’t really believe, the voice inside his head screamed at him to stop. Shame he hadn’t listened. He regretted every time he’d hurt her. Every word he’d said.</p><p>Deep down, Lucas knew there was nothing going on with Bobby. It wasn’t her. She would never. That’s one of the things he liked the most about her. He knew that <em>outside</em> the Villa, he wouldn’t be worried about where she was or what she was doing because she would not hurt him. She wasn’t like his mother. She was, in fact, the opposite to her. </p><p>He wished that he could go back in time and change it. All of it. The arguments, the accusations, the yelling, the stupid fucking plan with Priya.</p><p>But what did wishing do? Nothing. He couldn't change any of it.</p><p>He still didn't really understand where it had gone wrong though. It had worked flawlessly. No one knew except them, they'd timed the almost kiss perfectly, knowing Hope would run off to tell Jess, <em>and</em> Jess had been pissed.</p><p>Bobby was free for Priya, Jess was free for him. </p><p>It had <em>worked</em>.</p><p>Why the fuck would Jess believe Bobby when he told her he wasn't in on it? Had he underestimated her and Bobby’s friendship?</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Now Lucas was back to square one.</p><p>No. He was further back than that. </p><p>She’d broken up with him. For the very thing he was trying to fix with his and Priya’s plan; his insecurity about Bobby.</p><p>Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps across the lawn, and turned, his whole body simultaneously lighting up and bracing itself as he saw her.</p><p>“Jessss,” he called out messily. </p><p>She gave him a small smile, her brow knotted in confusion as she took a seat next to him, “Lucas, are you drunk?”</p><p>He pressed a finger to his lips, “Shhh… no I’m not.”</p><p>She let out a small giggle and he closed his eyes, enjoying the sound of her laugh, like he always did.</p><p>Gently grabbing the bottle from his hands, she whispered, “I’m cutting you off babe.”</p><p>“Babe? Does this mean you still like me?” he asked, unable to keep the hope off his face, as much as it annoyed him to show her.</p><p>She looked him in the eyes, swallowing hard as she twisted her mouth together. Despite the feeling of dread that spread through him, he could not stop himself from admiring the way she looked in the moonlight; the reflections on the pool creating sparkles in her eyes.</p><p>Oh dear, maybe he was a little <em> too </em>tipsy.</p><p>“Lucas,” she started, her voice soft and tinged with sadness, “It's not a good time for this conversation, you're drunk. But of course I still like you…” she trailed off, her face scrunching up as she visibly fought to find the words.</p><p>He knew she was going to end it. He knew it. And he wanted to stop it.</p><p>“Tell me what I can do Jess. I’ll do anything,” he whispered, his voice quiet and desperate. If he weren’t so intoxicated, he might have been humiliated by it.</p><p>“It’s not – it’s – you aren’t –” she faltered and closed her eyes, a quiet sob escaping her lips.</p><p>“We can fix this. We can fix us. Don't break up with me.”</p><p>“Lucas… we are <em>already</em> broken up.”</p><p>He grabbed her hand, leaning into her, “But you picked me.”</p><p>“Yes, but I still –” she opened and closed her mouth, eyes searching his face as she faltered again.</p><p>No. He couldn’t let her do it. </p><p>He <em> needed </em>her.</p><p>She needed him too.</p><p>Without thinking about it, he grabbed her face, crashing his lips onto hers. There was a moment of hesitation but then she started kissing him back and relief washed over him. Moving his hand to the back of her head, he used it to tilt her face up and deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue over hers in the way that made his hair stand on end and sparks of desire shoot through him. She was kissing him passionately, almost desperately, clinging onto him with everything she had, and he was doing the same for her.</p><p>Just like every other time he kissed her, he became lost in the moment, never wanting to leave, not wanting to use any of his usual self-control. Every time their lips touched, it was like she set flame to him. She lit him up inside, made his heart soar, made him feel like he was invincible, like he was her everything. It had never been like this with anyone else before her. </p><p>See? She was special. She was it for him.</p><p>Whenever she was near him, he lost his head. He couldn't help it. All he could think about was her. He wanted her so fucking bad it hurt sometimes. How he hadn't slept with her yet was beyond him. They had been hot and heavy <em>a lot</em>, but something always got in the way; a text, voices outside the door, bloody Gary.</p><p>He wanted to have her, right here, right now, to hell with whoever saw.</p><p>But then she let out a choked sob, her lips faltering on his for a split second and it sliced through his want, confusing him.</p><p>Pulling back, he looked down at her, blinking as he tried to figure out what was going on.</p><p>Was she… was she crying?</p><p>He tried to make eye contact with her but she was purposefully looking away, worrying at her lip with her teeth, her body trembling slightly.</p><p>Softly he ran his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the streaks, “Why are you crying love?”</p><p>“I… I’m so fucked up. Everything... is so... confusing. I…<em> can’t</em>, Lucas,” her voice trembling as she spoke.</p><p>“Can’t what?”</p><p>“I can’t be with you,” she whispered.</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>It would be a lie to say his whole world didn’t come crashing down on him right there and then; the feeling crushing his chest and constricting his airways. He involuntarily tightened his grip in her hair, making her wince slightly. Guilt shot through him like a knife; cutting through the burning fire of despair he felt with every part of him. With more strength than he thought he had in that moment, he released his hold, letting his hand drop lifelessly between them.</p><p>He’d lost. The game was over. She wasn’t his.</p><p>“I - I’m so sorry Lucas.”</p><p>Moving back away from her, he turned his head to look out at the view. He couldn’t stand looking at her anymore. It hurt too much. He suddenly felt completely and utterly sober. He prayed to go back to his dizzying intoxication from minutes ago.</p><p>“Can’t? Or don’t want to?” he choked out.</p><p>She was quiet for a few moments, and he resisted the urge to look at her, knowing he’d see the answer and not sure if he really wanted to.</p><p>Finally, she whispered, “Both.”</p><p>He released a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding. That had stung far deeper than he’d thought it would. He had got so used to her telling him she wanted to be with him. He’d got complacent enough to think it was always going to be true. Even when he was not being his best self with her.</p><p>“Why?” he asked, his voice breaking pathetically.</p><p>Turning to look at her he found a sympathetic expression on her face that twisted the knife further.</p><p>“Well, there are a few reasons… To start, we um, don’t have the healthiest relationship, and I -”</p><p>He cut her off, suddenly furious with her; he was trying to fix it, they <em> could </em>fix it if she’d just let him, “Is it about Bobby?”</p><p>As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew.</p><p>Instead of the usual fiery anger that swamped her eyes whenever he’d said that before, there was only sadness. He had to look away, watching from the corner of his eye as she dropped her head, staring at her lap. </p><p>The silence was deafening.</p><p>“You like him?” he managed to choke out.</p><p>Her voice was barely a whisper but it felt like she’d screamed at him, “Um, I think so.”</p><p>Sucking in a deep breath that felt like fire, he turned his face to the stars. He wasn’t even sure how he felt about that. His chest was filled with so much anguish that he couldn’t even feel it anymore. Almost couldn’t feel anything.</p><p>“Since when?”</p><p>“Oh, er, I kind of, ah, realised... maybe an hour ago?”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Expecting me to say this whole time?” she asked, a touch of humour in her voice and he could feel her eyes on him.</p><p>“A little…”</p><p>“That’s probably why we wouldn’t have worked anyway, right?”</p><p>“Are you – I mean, now that –” he groaned and braced himself, “Are you going to be with him now?”</p><p>“I… don’t know, Lucas,” her voice quiet and pensive, “I can’t really say what might happen, but, right at this very moment, I don’t want to.”</p><p>“I don’t think I want to stay here,” his voice broke as he said his next words, “I don’t think I could handle seeing you and him…” he trailed off, not able to actually say the nightmare that was running through his head at that moment.</p><p>She reached out and grabbed his hand in hers. Almost instinctively, he went to yank it away, recoiling from a touch he once cherished. But something stopped him. Perhaps her warmth. Maybe the familiar feeling. Whatever it was, he let her touch him and it felt nice.</p><p>“I wouldn’t do that to you,” she said softly.</p><p>Oh. </p><p>Maybe she still liked him then? Maybe this whole Bobby thing was just confusing her. Did he still have a chance with her?</p><p>Then again, she did break up with him. She said she didn’t want to be with him. Did she ever? Was it all a lie?</p><p>He was unable to stop the vulnerability that entered his tone as he asked, “<em>Did </em> you like me? Before?”</p><p>“I did, of course I did,” she said, a small smile playing at her lips, as though she were remembering something happy. Something about him.</p><p>“But not enough?”</p><p>“You hurt me. Almost every day.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>He truly meant it. More than she knew.</p><p>Wiping tears from the corner of her eyes with her hand, Jess’s voice sounded watery as she said, “It’s ok, I mean, you were right… in the end.”</p><p>The irony wasn’t lost on him. If he hadn’t yelled at her earlier today, she’d still be his. She might never have looked at Bobby that way.</p><p>“I really <em> am </em>sorry,” she whispered.</p><p>“Don’t be, I played the game poorly,” he muttered despondently.</p><p>She let out a small huff of amusement and said, “Ok, stop referring to me as a game.”</p><p>Hearing her playful tone soothed a tiny piece of the fragments his heart had become. It was like a healing balm and he realised that maybe everything would be ok. Maybe he could get her back. Or maybe he couldn’t. As long as he had this, he could get through it.</p><p>“Would you rather me call you a player?” he managed to joke. Surprising even himself.</p><p>She laughed quietly, “Me? A player?”</p><p>A small smile tugged at his lips, “This morning’s Lucas would have said you were.”</p><p>“This morning’s Lucas was a prick,” she said, lightly tapping his shoulder with hers.</p><p>This time, he laughed, and it felt oddly comforting, “Yeah, he was.”</p><p>“I’d really like to… be friends,” she winced as she said it, as though she knew how stupid it sounded.</p><p>“Ouch. Friends?”</p><p>She shrugged, as though not able to offer him anything more.</p><p>Her words ran through his mind. <em> I wouldn’t do that to you. </em></p><p>“Yeah, let’s work on being friends.”</p><p>She smiled brightly at him and it made his heart flutter in the way he had grown accustomed to in her presence.</p><p>Friends isn’t ideal. It’s not what he wants. </p><p>
  <em> But at least I can keep them apart. </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Are you trying to be obtuse?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eeeekkk!!! Mutual pinning! What a long ass journey to get here. That's partially on me, mostly on Jess &amp; Bobby. Yeah I'm blaming them. What about it?</p><p>Anyway, today they've done a personality swap: Jess is a pathetic moron and Bobby is grumpy. Kinda makes for a nice change I think.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Slightly different layout; Jess skips most of the day and just describes it to us (as though anyone cares). We also have another guest POV (last one for a while, I promise). Hope you enjoy this person's 'to hell with it all' voice. I did.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When she’d woken up this morning, Jess had felt confident; imperturbable; ready for anything. She 150% could act completely normal and totally unaffected by… um, things.</p><p>Unfortunately that attitude lasted all of thirty minutes. Right until the moment she ran face first into Bobby. That’s not a euphemism either; one minute she was walking out of the girls’ dressing room minding her own business, the next her face was smashed against Bobby’s chest.</p><p>Bobby’s bare, still wet from the shower, warm, toned, sexy, chest.</p><p>Grabbing her around the waist to steady her, Bobby chuckled, looking at her with his stupid cute smirk. Fuck. Her traitorous heart skipped a beat, like she was in fucking middle school, and she told it to shut the fuck up.</p><p>“Woah, if yeh needed a hug, yeh just have tae ask, Lass.”</p><p>She tried to laugh off the sudden awkwardness she felt, but instead it just came out as a weird choking sound.</p><p>Ugh. Why did she have to be so fucking embarrassing?!</p><p>
  <em> Come on Jess, shake it off, you got this. Chill, cool, relaxed. </em>
</p><p>To be fair, it was kind of hard to do considering neither of them had moved at all. Bobby <em> still </em> had his hands on her, and her chest was <em> still </em>pressed against his. Her entire body was lit up with awareness of him, and she felt fucking crazy; her mind running so fast it was impossible to keep up.</p><p>First, she just <em> happened </em>to notice that he was only wearing a towel. So naturally, all she could think about was how she could just tug it and he’d be naked. And then her moronic mind started imagining what he would look like naked. Hot as fuck. According to her vivid imagination.</p><p>And seriously, did his chest <em>have</em> to glisten like that? Because now she had a sudden urge to kiss it, which would be super fucking weird. In an effort to distract herself, she adverted her gaze and found herself staring at his lips. Great. Now she was wondering what he’d do if she raised up on her tiptoes and kissed him right now.</p><p>
  <em> For fuck’s sake. Stop. Please. I'm begging you.</em>
</p><p>In an embarrassingly croaky voice she finally replied, “Ha, I’m fine, I don’t need a hug.”</p><p>Bobby looked incredibly amused as he teased, “Okay Lass, I didn’t think yeh did until yeh said that.”</p><p>“Well I definitely don’t <em>want</em> a hug,” she scoffed.</p><p>“No?” he asked, a grin taking over his face, “What <em> do </em>yeh want?”</p><p>
  <em> You to kiss me until I can’t breathe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh god. You need to abort asap.  </em>
</p><p>“A coffee,” she managed to say, trying to ignore how he shifted his hands slightly and it made her skin prickle.</p><p>For a moment his eyes searched her face, his smile dimming slightly, “Let me get dressed and I’ll make yeh one… unless Lucas already is?”</p><p>Goddamn it. Not telling him about Lucas felt like lying, but she also didn’t give a fuck. Not saying anything was far easier than telling people. Besides, Lucas asked her not to. </p><p>She may or may not be using that as an excuse.</p><p>“I can make myself one.”</p><p>Frowning, Bobby cocked his head, looking concerned, “Are yeh okay?”</p><p>
  <em> Distance. I need distance. </em>
</p><p>Taking a step back she tried to give him a smile, unsure if it was convincing anyone, “Of course, I’m just gonna… go... finish... getting ready.”</p><p>Jess very nearly groaned at her own awkwardness but instead she backed up further and slipped through the girls’ dressing room door.</p><p>Yes, the same one she’d just walked out of. </p><p>It’s fine.</p><p>Closing her eyes, she took a deep calming breath, trying to figure out why she had to be such a tit. It’s just a stupid crush. It’s not as if she’d never liked anyone before. Like fuck, she wanted to rip his clothes off yesterday too but she was still able to be chill around him. What the fuck?</p><p>
  <em>Feelings are the worst!</em>
</p><p>And that's when Jess decided to come up with Operation Avoid-Bobby-At-All-Costs.</p><p>Because if she didn't have to see him, she didn't have to deal with her, <em>ugh</em>, feelings. She could just live in this blissful world where she didn’t have to pretend her heart wasn’t fluttering in her chest every time she was around him. Because she wasn’t around him.</p><p>So that’s pretty much what she’d proceeded to do for the rest of the day. Successfully, she might add.</p><p>It was mid-afternoon and she'd barely had to deal at all. Barely had to see him, barely talked to him, barely thought about him. Ok, that last one was a lie, but the rest were true.</p><p>She probably deserved some kind of award for her avoidance prowess. At this point she was like a goddamn Navy Seal. She had reached pro level. The sponsorship deals were in the mail.</p><p>The only problem with her truly flawless plan was that she didn’t realise just how much she hated everyone else here. Ok, <em>hate</em> was a strong word… was mildly irritated by everyone else. Especially today.</p><p>Lucas had been annoyingly clingy; making her breakfast, telling her boring ass stories. She did actually want to work on things with him, but did it have to be today? She'd only just broken up with him. <em>Yesterday</em>. Give a girl a little time. Her heart still hurt. And, well, she felt guilty as fuck.</p><p>Still, it wasn't the worst thing she'd endured today.</p><p>Only just though.</p><p>Boy troubles were <em> all </em> Lottie had wanted to talk about, trying to push Jess into talking about it with that annoyingly effective thing she does. Had she not heard of the Bechdel test? Couldn’t they have a conversation about something other than love? Well, Jess supposed they <em> were </em> on Love Island, but <em> still</em>. </p><p>So, obviously, Jess was now dodging Lottie too.</p><p>When she’d gone to join Hannah and Priya - yes, she’d been that desperate - she heard them say Bobby’s name and Jess had swiftly diverted her course. No thanks.</p><p>Hope and Noah had been absolutely <em> painful </em> to talk to. They had basically sat there, debating with each other about what was happening in Jess’s love life, as if she weren’t standing right there. They were <em> sooo </em>happy her and Lucas had been able to work it out. Gag. The only silver lining from that interaction had been she’d had a random chat with Noah about nail polish colours.</p><p>Seriously, she can’t make this shit up; the <em> most interesting </em>conversation she’d had today was about nail polish.</p><p>When will this torture end?</p><p>At least she’d been given a temporary reprieve during the challenge earlier.</p><p>Aptly named ‘Gym Bunnies’, the girls were all made to dress up in skimpy playboy bunny outfits, complete with fishnet tights, and forced to compete in a race. A vapid race that consisted of downing a bottle of disgusting wheatgrass smoothie while on a treadmill, doing sit-ups and kissing your partner on the uplift, and eating a carrot on a rowing machine. The whole thing was super fucking random.</p><p>Jess was still a little annoyed, because she’d lost. To Hannah. Of all people. </p><p><em>Come. On.</em> Jess was the most physically fit girl in the Villa, in her opinion, and she couldn’t even win a fucking fitness challenge?</p><p>Well, she knew exactly <em> why </em>she didn’t win. </p><p>Three words. Two people. Gary and Bobby<em>. </em></p><p>-------------------</p><p>
  <em>Hannah was on the treadmill next to hers and while Gary was <strong> meant </strong>to be yelling things at Hannah - because the boys were their ‘personal trainers’ - instead he was goading Jess.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh yeah Jess, keep running exactly like that, I need a picture of your tits bouncing for later tonight.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even knowing that she should really be concentrating on winning, she couldn’t help laughing, “Yeah? Been struggling with impotence? Can’t get it up without access to porn anymore?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Jess,” Lucas admonished, “I thought you wanted to win? Ignore him, he’s just trying to get in your head.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ha! I’m trying to get something in her head.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jess nearly spat out her drink, “Oh fuck! Good one Gaz!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wiggling his eyebrows at her, Gary shot her a massive, smug look.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>*</em>
</p><p>
  <em>During the next round, Jess was making up for lost time as she powered through the sit-up challenge; smashing her lips into Lucas’s every time she lifted up, not at all concerned - or interested - in actually kissing him. Half because of the break up, half because she wanted to win. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>To his credit, and her surprise, Lucas was semi-laughing about it while he tried to keep count for her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And then fucking Bobby, who had given up trying to win at this point so he and Lottie were just messing around, started yelling out random numbers in an effort to confuse them. Prick.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Shut the fuck up Bobby!” Lucas yelled, then, as Jess sat back up, counted, “Eight.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You already said eight! Luuuccas!” Jess whined as she tried to keep going and not start laughing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Shit,” he muttered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Laughing his fucking head off, Bobby carried on, “Seven, twenty two, nineteen, one.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Piss <strong> off </strong>Bobby,” Jess yelled, just before smashing her lips into Lucas’s again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Er, nine.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Lucas, we’re at Eleven now! Come on!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>*</em>
</p><p>
  <em>For their final round, the girls were on a rowing machine, their boy holding a fishing rod with a carrot attached to the end. The goal was for the girls to get the carrot in their mouths and eat the whole thing. A man definitely came up with this idea.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jess and Hannah were really the only ones in the race anymore; the rest either given up or too far behind. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jess had this in the bag.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But, once she’d started rowing, Bobby stood on one side of her, hitting the carrot and making it swing around too wildly for her to catch. Basically she looked like one of those open mouthed carnival games; just swinging her head around as she tried to catch it and making annoyed sounds at Bobby as she did.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On the machine next to her, Gary was still taunting her to no end, “Come on Jess, we all know you’re better than that at putting things in your mouth.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Aye Lass, just imagine it’s Lucas’s -”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t you <strong> dare </strong>finish that!” she yelled, trying to focus on the stupid fucking carrot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I was gonna say chicken pot pie… Get yeh mind out of the gutter,” Bobby chuckled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lucas, who was desperately trying to move the fishing rod to counteract Bobby hitting it, sighed, “Jess, you might as well give up, you’re never going to catch that thing.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah Jess, just give up,” Gary jumped in happily.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I will not!” she told them determinedly, knitting her eyebrows in concentration as she tried to anticipate the carrot’s movements. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yeah… she might have been taking it a bit too seriously at this point.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, Gary called out, “Hannah wins!” and the two of them jumped around the challenge area, yelling and squealing excitedly about their victory. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>A lot of Gary’s yelling was along the lines of, ‘we beat Jess, we beat Jess’, after which Hannah started her own chant, ‘<strong>I </strong> beat Jess, <strong> I </strong> beat Jess’.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>For as annoyed as she was, she had to admit that it was kind of funny and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing at the smug looks on both Bobby and Gary’s faces as they did this weird high-five handshake thing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Once everyone had calmed down, Jess playfully rolled her eyes at them, “You guys are dicks.”</em>
</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Shaking off the memory, Jess concentrated on lifting the barbell above her. Because apparently the challenge hadn’t been enough working out for the day, so now she was doing weights with Gary and Henrik in the gym.</p><p>It didn’t have anything to do with the fact that she knew Bobby probably wouldn’t come here. Not at all.</p><p>She was half listening to the boys drone on about climbing, or homeopathic remedies, or their meal plans. Honestly, Jess had tuned out long ago. Really she was just grateful they weren’t talking about their relationships. </p><p>Though that probably had to do with the fact that they both wanted to be with Lottie and neither of them knew where they stood. But the only reason they didn’t know was because neither of them were talking to her right now; Henrik hurt because she’d kissed him then tried to get back with Gary; Gary hurt because… well, he was still holding a grudge. </p><p>Honestly, the whole thing was so stupid. Gary and Henrik would never figure it out unless they faced their issues and just communicated with Lottie.</p><p>
  <em> Oh, you mean like how you’re doing with Bobby? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Damn it! </em>
</p><p>Her inner voice was being particularly annoying today.</p><p>“Jess!”</p><p>“Ya what?” she sputtered out, a little taken aback by the intrusion.</p><p>Lifting her head, she saw Henrik and Gary were both sitting on the edge of the gym area, having now finished their workout, towels over their shoulder, sipping water. </p><p>Gary laughed, “What were you so lost in thought about?”</p><p>“Daydreaming about Lucas?” Henrik added with an eyebrow wiggle.</p><p>Dropping the weight and sitting up, Jess rolled her eyes, “Oh piss off you two.”</p><p>Chuckling, Gary said, “Nah, come on Jess, it’s nice to hear about an actual couple,” he waved his hand at him and Henrik, “Ours are both shit and Lottie and Bobby are just friends. Apart from you, the only successful ones here are Hope and Noah.”</p><p>“And we hear enough about them already,” Henrik agreed.</p><p>“Oh, well, Lucas is great.”</p><p>Yeah, she was being deliberately vague. What of it?</p><p>
  <em> Huh, maybe I should add ‘dodging questions’ to the list of awards I deserve today. </em>
</p><p>“Wow, just calm down with your love declarations Jess,” Gary smirked and Jess pulled a face at him.</p><p>Henrik chuckled and then looked at Gary, “So you <em> aren’t </em>going to try to work things out with Hannah again?”</p><p>Gary’s head dropped and he sadly whispered, “She’s not really the one I want.”</p><p>“Yeah… I feel that.”</p><p>“It’s just…”</p><p>Jess tuned out of that conversation faster than an ice cream would melt in hell. Fucking <em> great</em>. Now the boys were also talking about feelings. Was she seriously the only one over it? </p><p>Ugh. She should have paid more attention to the climbing/remedy/meal plan chat, she didn’t realise that would be her only other option.</p><p>
  <em> So basically the only person left is Bobby? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Cool, cool, cool. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Guess I get to be alone with my thoughts. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Amazing. It’s real fun inside my head today. </em>
</p><p>Feeling a little defeated, she got up and walked across the lawn, not really paying any attention to where she was going or even what she was thinking about.</p><p>Yup, she got complacent. That was her first mistake of the day.</p><p>“Hey Lass, yeh all good?”</p><p>Startled, and suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, Jess snapped her head up to find Bobby walking towards her, less than a metre away, a warm smile on his face.</p><p>
  <em> Lass? Does he call Priya that? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, fuck, fuck. </em>
</p><p>A mixture of confusing emotions flew through her. But the most prominent feeling was how her entire body reacted to his presence. She <em> hated </em> it. She wanted him so <em> badly</em>. Wanted to talk to him, laugh with him, just do stupid shit with him.</p><p>Like, why couldn’t she just want to see him naked? It would be so much fucking easier if it was just sex. She hated his stupid stupid <em> stupid </em>face. </p><p>Painting a cheerful smile on her face, she waved her water bottle at him, “I’m good, need water, catch you later.” </p><p>And then, for the second time in twenty four hours, she ran. Like the little bitch she really is under her façade of confidence. She felt like a child. Which actually wasn’t too surprising, seeing as she was currently <em> acting </em>like a child. </p><p>Eh, at least she was self-aware.</p><p>On the plus side though, she didn’t actually <em> run</em>. Just very purposefully walked. Like, really fast. So, at the very least, she wasn't a complete twat. <em> And</em> she did find herself actually heading in the direction of the kitchen, despite not putting any thought into where she was speed walking to.</p><p>So, all in all, it hadn’t gone as badly as it could have.</p><p>Yeah, it was a small win, but she was taking it.</p><p>As the panic receded, it was replaced by guilt. She knew she shouldn’t be avoiding him. He was probably a little confused, maybe a bit hurt, but she just <em> couldn’t </em>be around him. Not until she had figured out how she was feeling. Everything was so confusing.</p><p>And honestly, she felt crippled by fear. So completely and utterly <em> terrified, </em>she kind of wanted to crawl into a ball and have a little cry about it.</p><p>She didn’t know how to move past this.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Bobby was freaking the fuck out. And then some.</p><p>Jess hadn’t smiled at him <em> all </em>day. Ok, she’d smiled. But not her usual radiant, eye crinkling, infectious smile that he lived for. Wait, that's extreme. That he really liked. Yeah, that's better. </p><p>Anyway. He was in full panic mode; wondering what the fuck was going on with her. He hadn’t been able to pin her down for a proper chat since their date yesterday; the longest conversation being when she'd acted weird this morning. It was getting closer and closer to being a full twenty four hours since they’d spent any time together and it pissed him off. It wasn’t like her. It wasn’t like <em> them</em>.</p><p>Jess had told him she hated not being friends, that he meant a lot to her, that she liked many things about him. </p><p>Literally all of that happened yesterday.</p><p>But now she was avoiding him. He <em> knew </em> she was. Her water bottle was <em> full</em>, for fuck’s sake. That had been the most half-assed attempt to dodge him so far and irritation ran like poison through his veins.</p><p>What the fuck could have possibly changed since their date? Why the fuck she was avoiding him like he was a candy dish and she were on a diet?</p><p>He had nothing.</p><p>Luckily he knew someone who might know. And that's exactly why he was now storming over to where Lottie was painting her nails on the daybed.</p><p>Fuck, he hoped she knew. He didn’t know how much more he could take. He was right on the edge of just finding Jess and yelling at her.</p><p>Lottie looked up as he approached, eyes narrowing as she assessed him, “You look like you want something.”</p><p>Sitting down at the end of the bed, he let out a sigh, “Aye, what’s up with Jess?”</p><p>“What do you mean?” she asked, a small smirk playing on her lips.</p><p>“She’s been avoiding me all day.”</p><p>Lottie replaced the nail polish lid back in it’s bottle and put it off to the side, giving him her full attention before shrugging, “Seems fine to me.”</p><p>
  <em> Bullshit. </em>
</p><p>“Tell me.”</p><p>Lottie pressed her lips together for a moment, then sighed, “I can’t <em> say</em>. Girl code.”</p><p>
  <em> God. Talking with Lottie was always so fucking frustrating. How did you forget that on the way over here? Idiot. </em>
</p><p>“Jesus, come on Loz, I have nae clue what is going on, give me <em> something </em>tae work with here.”</p><p>Tilting her head, her eyes ran over his face as she slowly said, “I heard that you were on the rooftop last night with Priya.”</p><p>Bobby let out a groan, “Can we get back tae Jess? Did yeh tell her something, yeh know, about me?”</p><p>Ignoring him, she pressed on, “What were you <em> doing </em>on the rooftop with Priya?”</p><p>Just as he was about to moan at her again, he noticed she was giving him a deliberately pointed look. He didn’t get it. What the fuck could she possibly be trying to tell him about Priya and the rooftop? He didn’t care about either of those things.</p><p>“Uh… we were talking,” he said, a little dumbfounded.</p><p>“That’s not what I heard.”</p><p>“Well it’s true. She was upset and I was just talking tae her about it... What does <em> any </em>of this have tae do with Jess?”</p><p>Looking like she was about to murder him, Lottie rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath,<em> “Fucking dipshit.” </em></p><p>Bobby racked his brain, trying to put the pieces together.</p><p>Okay. The only person she would have heard about him and Priya from was Jess. She’d walked in on them, looking pretty fucking upset... likely something to do with Lucas, because when isn’t it. But why would she ignore him because of that?</p><p>Shit. Is it because of the things he'd said about Lucas on the date? Crap. Did she feel uncomfortable around him because he'd basically told her he was making t-shirts for the 'I hate Lucas' club and she clearly still wanted to be with him?</p><p>“Is it about Lucas?”</p><p>Lottie scoffed, “Is 'you and Priya hooking up' about Lucas? That's seriously what you're asking me?”</p><p>Hooking up? What? Why would Jess tell Lottie that he and Priya were doing anything other than talking? Was Lottie insinuating <em> that’s </em> why Jess was upset with him? But that didn’t check out. Jess <em> wanted </em>them to get together, so why would she avoid him?</p><p>Unless...</p><p>“Is this because she’s still mad at Priya?” he asked cautiously.</p><p>Letting out a frustrated groan, Lottie pressed her fingers to her forehead and gave the smallest shake of her head. It was so tiny, he almost missed it.</p><p>
  <em> Okay... not that then... </em>
</p><p>He was going round and round in circles in his head, repeating over and over again, <em> ‘Jess thought I was hooking up with Priya, and is now avoiding me’</em>. It didn't make sense. He couldn’t work it out.</p><p>What did Priya have to do with the price of milk?</p><p>And then a thought occurred to him.</p><p>
  <em> No way.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> There’s no fucking way. </em>
</p><p>“Shit. Wait. No. She isn’t. Is she?”</p><p>A small smile played at the corner of Lottie’s mouth as she raised an eyebrow questioningly at him.</p><p>Tentatively, still not 100% sure he was right, he asked, “Is she... jealous?”</p><p>He didn't actually expect her to answer, but even so he was still annoyed when Lottie let out a cackle that confused him to no end. Once she’d calmed down, she shrugged mysteriously; neither confirming nor denying it. Not helpful at all.</p><p>“I mean… <em> if </em>she is, what does tha’ mean?” he bit his lip, his heart kicking up a beat as he choked out, “Does she… does she like me?”</p><p>Right about this time, his brain had officially reached the point of exploding out of his body. He felt out of his goddamn mind. There was just no fucking way she did. Absolutely no chance that Jess <em> liked </em>him. At least not the same way he liked her. </p><p>
  <em>Nope. No fucking chance.</em>
</p><p>Rolling her eyes Lottie said, “Ask her.”</p><p>“Yeah. Right,” he nodded absentmindedly, “But, see, she’s still with Lucas...”</p><p>“Sure seems that way, doesn’t it?”</p><p>“I... dinnae want tae make things complicated for her. Or for our friendship.”</p><p>She threw her hands in the air and snipped angrily, “So <em> don’t </em>ask her then.”</p><p>“Could yeh give me a hint?” he pleaded, giving her his best puppy dog impression.</p><p>Getting to her feet, she looked down at him with exasperation, “Asking her is the only way you’re going to find out what’s going on in her head. So just fucking <em> do it.</em>”</p><p>Before stomping off, Lottie waved her hand towards where Jess was currently sitting on the coping by the pool, feet dangling in the water, face tilted up towards the sky, leaning back on her arms which were stretched out behind her.</p><p>She looked like a fucking <em> goddess </em>in a pink string bikini.</p><p>That wasn’t an exaggeration; she <em>literally</em> looked like a goddess. The low hanging sun made her look like she was glowing, highlighting all her dips and curves; the roundness of her breasts, the soft fullness of her hips, the subtle hints of muscle on her stomach. She took his breath away.</p><p>And <em> god</em>. The way she was sitting, knees slightly open, swinging her feet back and forth in the water… well, it made him want to get in the pool, swim over to her and bury his face in between her thighs; taste her.</p><p>
  <em> Ah, shit. </em>
</p><p>It was moments like this that he truly hated how his body reacted to her. Specifically, how his dick did anyway. Seriously, was he twelve?</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Right. I’m done with this shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Jess, you’re going to fucking talk to me, whether you like it or not. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It’s happening. </em>
</p><p>As luck would have it, Jess seemed so zoned out that she didn’t hear him approaching.</p><p>It kind of gave him the perfect opportunity to be a fucking creep and look down at her face; admiring how peaceful she looked as she enjoyed the sun on her face, eyes closed. It made him feel a little bad about interrupting her.</p><p>Not enough to actually leave her be though.</p><p>“Jess,” he stated rather bluntly, well, because he was still kind of pissed his semi hadn’t gone away. Yes. That was the motivation for his attitude right now.</p><p>Her eyes flew open, wide as saucers, and quickly straightened, lifting one leg on the coping as though she was about to get up, “Hey, I was just -”</p><p>“Avoiding me?”</p><p>Huffing out a breath, she eyed him for a moment. It kind of felt like he had caught a deer in headlights, unsure if it was going to stay or go.</p><p>Finally, and with a long sigh, she shifted her foot back into the pool, settling in and shrugged, “Maybe, yeah.”</p><p>Huh. Hearing her say that made him feel a little better.</p><p>Taking a seat next to her, he asked, “Why?”</p><p>“Can’t I just <em> want </em>to avoid you sometimes?”</p><p>“Aye, yeh can, and maybe I’ll start randomly avoiding yeh too.”</p><p>She gave him a mock excited look, “Yeah? Like right now?”</p><p>
  <em> Damn, she was cute. Sassy, sure. But cute. </em>
</p><p>“Nah, yer not getting off that easy,” he chuckled.</p><p>Jess smiled at him, eyes full of amusement, “Bugger.”</p><p>“Yeh didn't answer my question.”</p><p>Shrugging she said, “I'd rather not talk about it.”</p><p>“Can I <em> guess </em>why?”</p><p>For a moment she just narrowed her eyes at him, then said, “Sure, but you only get one guess; them the rules.”</p><p>
  <em> Is it about me? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Do you like me? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Just fucking ask her Bobby, come on. </em>
</p><p>“Is it about Lucas? Do yeh… feel weird because yeh chose him and, well, because of what I said tae yeh on the date yesterday?”</p><p>It seemed like the most logical guess to him. Lottie wasn't the most reliable person he knew.</p><p>
  <em> Yeah sure. Or you’re just a fucking coward. </em>
</p><p>Pursing her lips, she shrugged again, not saying anything.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck! What is it with the women in this Villa?</em>
</p><p>Trying to be reassuring, he told her, “Well, if it <em>is</em>, I dinnae mind if yeh want to be with him; as long as yer happy, I’m happy.”</p><p>Jess scoffed and gave him an incredulous look, then, faking gratitude, she exclaimed, “Oh golly Bobby, thanks! I’m so glad you don’t mind my relationship, that’s <em> all </em>I needed to hear. My life wish is fulfilled.”</p><p>Holding back a laugh, he rolled his eyes, “Snarky today, aren’t we?”</p><p>“Hey, I was <em> trying </em>to save you from it, you know, by avoiding you.”</p><p>“I <em> like </em>yer snarky attitude.”</p><p>“Oh,” she frowned at him, “Really?”</p><p>“Yes, really,” he laughed, bumping her shoulder with his, “Are yeh thick? I like everything about yeh.”</p><p>
  <em> Christ. </em>
</p><p>She grinned smugly at him, “Everything huh? What about this?”</p><p>Before he knew what was happening, she leant down, cupped her hand in the pool and splashed him; the cold water shocking him for a split second.</p><p>“Oi! Get out, yeh menace!” he yelled, laughing as he did the exact same thing back to her. And then he desperately struggled not to look at the way the water made the skin on her breasts glisten invitingly. He <em> really </em>wanted to touch her.</p><p>Her jaw dropped open in mock indignation, “How bloody well dare you McKenzie!”</p><p>Truthfully, he just couldn’t help himself. Grabbing her around the waist, he threw his body into the pool, dragging her in with him.</p><p>When they resurfaced, she was laughing with delight, head thrown back, “Oh that’s it, you shit!”</p><p>Lunging at him, she wrapped her legs around him, using her advantage to kick his legs out and press her hands down on his shoulders, dunking him under the water. She was quick, but so was he. Gripping her thighs and pulling her closer, he sunk his body further into the water so she too was forced under.</p><p>Eventually they made their way to the surface; bodies still tangled up, their laughter mixing in the space between them.</p><p>And suddenly he was <em> very </em>aware of the fact that her legs were wrapped around his waist, his hands on her thighs and her face mere inches away. As she looked down at him, he could do nothing but stare at her; eyes wild and happy, crinkled at the corners, water droplets clinging to her eyelashes. Without meaning to, he glanced down at her lips; wet and slightly parted, allowing her soft breath to brush across his face as her chest rose and fell heavily. </p><p>The urge to kiss her shot through his entire body and it was all he could think about. All he wanted was to press his lips to hers and have her kiss him with the same passion he felt inside. </p><p>Desperate to think of something else, he dragged his gaze back to her eyes and almost groaned out loud when he found her staring back at him, eyes dark and filled with desire. It was exactly how she’d looked at him during the challenge; as though she wanted him. </p><p>Did she? Want him? Oh <em> fuck</em>, he hoped so. Because, in that moment, he was ready to chuck it all away for a chance to kiss her. To hell with their friendship.</p><p>“Jess, I -”</p><p>“Hey, Jess!”</p><p>
  <em> Fuuuccckkk!  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Lucas. She was with Lucas. She wanted Lucas. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Idiot. </em>
</p><p>Jess turned her head towards where Lucas was standing by the pool, giving him a bright smile as she extracted herself from Bobby and slowly waded to the edge of the pool, folding her arms on the coping as she looked up at Lucas.</p><p>The image of her face lighting up upon seeing Lucas burnt itself into his brain, weighing heavy on his soul. He was so fucking close. Two more seconds and he actually would have said it. Actually would have ruined everything.</p><p>
  <em> You’re a fucking moron! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She doesn’t want you. </em>
</p><p>“I was just going to make myself something to eat, want anything?”</p><p>“Oh, thanks Lu, I’m fine, but I appreciate it.”</p><p>Bobby <em> hated </em>that she sounded so composed, so natural, so carefree. Like they hadn’t just had a moment.</p><p>Crap. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe it was all in his head. Clearly she wasn’t struggling to tamp down her desire in the same way he currently was.</p><p>Lucas chuckled lightly, “Lu?”</p><p>“What? You hate my new nickname for you?”</p><p>“As long as you don’t start calling me Lulu.”</p><p>Throwing her hands in the air in mock exasperation, Jess laughingly said, “Well obviously I <em> have </em>to now!”</p><p>Bobby was really struggling not to flinch with every word they spoke to each other.</p><p>Why did they have to come up with cute nicknames right in front of him? Fuck. He should have just let Jess carry on avoiding him; it would be better than this. Dumbass.</p><p>“I guess that’s a little my fault,” Lucas said, an affectionate smile on his face.</p><p>“Entirely your fault, Lulu.”</p><p>Lifting his head, Lucas caught eyes with Bobby, raising an eyebrow, “What about you? Want anything?”</p><p>To say Bobby was stunned would be a massive fucking understatement. It took a <em>lot</em> of willpower for him to not look visibly shocked, and instead give the guy an appreciative smile, “Nah man, all good, thanks.”</p><p>He watched, still a little shell shocked, as Lucas and Jess said their goodbyes, then Bobby slowly made his way over to Jess, mimicking her position by folding his arms on the coping next to her.</p><p>“Nae gonna lie, that was weird right?”</p><p>She tilted her head towards him and gave him a small smile, “I think that’s called an olive branch Bee.”</p><p>Somehow, Bobby highly doubted <em> that </em>was Lucas’s motivation. Though maybe he was being a little too harsh on the guy.</p><p>For some <em> really </em>dumb reason, Bobby asked the one question he didn’t really want to know the answer to, “Things going well with you two then?”</p><p>Jess smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes, “We’re better every day.”</p><p>Giving her a suspicious look he said, “Why do I feel like yeh answered that question <em> very </em>specifically?”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Well, yeh could have said yes, but yeh chose words that were pretty ambiguous.”</p><p>“Ambiguous huh? Big word Bee,” she snipped, her jaw locked in annoyance.</p><p>He sighed, “Jess, come on, we don’t shut each other out.”</p><p>“You mean apart from that one time I ignored you all day?”</p><p>He hit her with a hard look, knowing she was just trying to joke her way out of it.</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes and groaned, “I’m just annoyed. Everyone has an opinion about my love life at the moment and I’m really not vibing with all the chats, so I’m happy to talk to you, but not about <em> that</em>.”</p><p>While it was frustrating - because <em>now</em> Bobby really wanted to know what was going on - he understood where she was coming from. He didn't want to talk about his relationships either. Mostly because what would he say? <em>Oh, I'm in a love triangle with a girl who doesn't even know how I feel nor does she reciprocate my feelings.</em> Yeah... no thanks.</p><p>Lucky for her, pretending everything was great and changing the subject is what he did best, so he said the first thing that came to mind, “What did the sign on the brothel say?”</p><p>Her lips tipped up in amusement as she eyed him, “What?”</p><p>“Beat it, we’re closed.”</p><p>Should he be concerned the first thing he thinks of is a masturbation joke? Probably.</p><p>Letting out a small giggle, Jess shook her head, “Awful.”</p><p>“Alright, let’s see yeh do better.”</p><p>“Easy. What kind of bees make milk?”</p><p>“Boo-bees,” she announced, snorting stupidly into her hand like she thought it was the funniest thing ever.</p><p>He really tried not to, because it was incredibly dumb, but he couldn’t help but laugh along, if only because of the ridiculous way she was laughing at her own joke. Like she was a teenager who’d just learnt the word.</p><p>Playfully pushing her shoulder, he admonished, “Real mature Lass.”</p><p>Jess squared her shoulders and said in a posh voice, “I’ll have you know I am far more mature than you, sir.”</p><p>Her impression was so stupid, he let out a cackle and she joined in. In the end, they were both laughing so hard, neither of them really knowing why anymore.</p><p>This was his favourite part of hanging out with her; the stupidness of it all.</p><p>Plus, it definitely was helping him stop thinking about how badly he wanted her.</p><p>Or how he thought she was perfect.</p><p>Or the way the low light made her eyes dance.</p><p>
  <em>God. Why can't I just get the fuck over this already?</em>
</p><p>Luckily he didn't have to spend too much time worrying about it; Noah got a text telling them to get ready and make their way to the firepit for a ‘surprise reveal’. </p><p>It didn't actually sound too bad to Bobby. He assumed it was going to be new Islanders; they’d had a fairly uneventful day <em> and </em>they were down to only five couples. Something was bound to come up soon. He was kind of surprised it hadn’t already.</p><p>Plus, new Islanders meant maybe he'd have the chance to meet someone who might actually be interested in him.</p><p>It would make a great change around here.</p><p>Sitting around the firepit, the mood wasn’t too nervous; everyone just chatting and joking around. One of the great things about three of five couples not being particularly happy in their current pairing is that the group had taken on a bit of a ‘eh’ attitude. At least for right now.</p><p>
  <em> Ding. </em>
</p><p>Hope sighed as she stood up, reading, “Islanders, tonight one couple will have a decision to make. The chosen couple, as voted by the public, must decide which two couples they want to break up and recouple #partnerswap #mixedbag.”</p><p>“That’s good right?” Henrik piped up immediately, his face lit up, “There are a few people who want to change couples.”</p><p>Priya let out a laugh, raising an eyebrow at him, “You mean like you?”</p><p>“Yeah! You get it!” Henrik smiled at her.</p><p>Gary let out a snort, “Shit, you just say whatever comes to your head don’t ya?”</p><p>“I don’t mind, he’s right,” Priya shrugged.</p><p>“As long as <em> we </em>don’t get separated,” Hope said, looking nervously around the group as she clung tightly to Noah.</p><p>Bobby barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He didn’t understand why she always thought everyone was out to get her. No one cared about breaking them up. </p><p>
  <em> We all have better shit to worry about, Hope. </em>
</p><p>“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Jess reassured her.</p><p>
  <em> Ding. </em>
</p><p>With a sour look on her face, Hannah stood and read out, “The couple the public have voted is… Bobby and Lottie.”</p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit. </em>
</p><p>He turned to Lottie, meeting her shocked and excited expression with his one of dread.</p><p>“This is great!” Jess said excitedly, looking directly at Lottie.</p><p>
  <em> Is it? I don’t want to be responsible for this shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Oh for fuck’s sake. Lottie honestly couldn’t believe it. She was fucking standing here, once again, trying to fucking convince Bobby to pick Jess. How many fucking times would she have to do this? Why are her two closest friends here so… idiotic?</p><p>She would have given up by now if she had been able to tolerate literally <em>anyone</em> else in the Villa. As it stands, her options were sorely limited. They were it. And while her love life was currently up Shitt’s Creek without a paddle in sight, she may as well keep on trying to make them see the light.</p><p>See, since the moment she’d read Jess’s tea leaves for the first time, she knew. God, she can’t believe how blind she’d been. For a week she’d been reading Bobby’s tea leaves, completely and utterly flummoxed by them. But for fuck’s sake, of <em>course</em> it was Jess. The answer was so fucking obvious to her now. They were meant to be; their future exactly the same. Well, not exactly, but close enough. Enough for her to be sure. Mostly. Probably.</p><p>From then on she’d made it her mission to get them to see it, though she didn’t want to meddle <em> too </em> much. She knew from her reading that neither would come to the realisation by someone telling them so she had to be <em> somewhat </em>subtle. Lest she be at war with the spirits. </p><p>But <em>fuck</em> she wanted to just smack their heads together and say <em> ‘just fucking kiss already’</em>.</p><p>Hell, she’d even <em>told</em> Jess that Bobby liked her. Well, screamed it at her. Eh, same thing. But even that hadn’t worked. Jess did nothing with it. Because she’s a moron.</p><p>And <em> then </em> , earlier today she thought Bobby might have actually worked it out. Who’d have thought that of the two of them, he’d be the first to get it? He even said the words. And then, apparently, he hadn’t asked her at all and instead just carried on, not believing it could be true. Not that she actually expected him to do anything with the info she’d spoon fed him. He <em> was </em>a fucking pussy after all.</p><p>If this lasted much longer, she was genuinely concerned that she’d start pulling her hair out. It was the most frustrating thing she’d ever done. God damn they were just… so… <em> stupid</em>.</p><p>Maybe she should draw Jess and Bobby a diagram? A map? Fucking step-by-step instructions of how they can get together.</p><p>Honestly, she doesn’t know why she is so invested. </p><p>Well, that’s a lie. She did know why.</p><p>She really liked Jess.</p><p>Lottie had never been very good at making friends; girls didn’t like her and boys were scared of her. Well, not <em>everyone</em>. She’s not some lonely saddo. She had friends. And boyfriends. She was hot and people liked being around her. The problem was, people only usually hung around for short periods of time, so she'd never really had any <em>close</em> friends. Ride or die friends. The kinds of friends who would look out for her. And suddenly, she found it in Jess.</p><p>The minute she’d walked into the bedroom, Lottie thought ‘fuck, here we go again’. Jess embodied everything she hated; she was a ditzy airhead who would be super popular with everyone in the Villa and a bitch to her. Just like all the other girls who looked like her. </p><p>She couldn’t have been more wrong. She remembers the exact moment she decided she kind of liked Jess. It was when Jess had looked her in the eyes and shrugged after revealing that she thought Lottie was too good for Gary in the mean tweets challenge.</p><p>Dear lord, how Lottie wished she didn’t have feelings for Gary. She desperately wished she could move on; listen to Jess and just say ‘fuck it, I’m worth more’. But she didn’t. She wanted to be with him so fucking <em> bad</em>. She tried everything with him; playing hard to get, pursuing Henrik to make him jealous, ignoring him. None of her usual tricks were working with him. He was so fucking hot and cold. It drove her nuts, and honestly, kind of made her want him more. Which, she knew, was kind of fucked up. </p><p>She’d never let any guy make her feel so insecure before. How the hell had she fucked all this up so badly?</p><p>And truth be told, Henrik was kind of confusing her as well. Because she did actually like him. She just wasn't obsessed with him, not how she was obsessed with Gary.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, I wish I could’ve brought my tarot cards. They’d know what to do. </em>
</p><p>She was only really half-listening to Bobby’s speech about why they shouldn’t choose Jess. </p><p>
  <em> Would you just shut the fuck up Bobby, I’m so sick of your crap! </em>
</p><p>She cut off whatever he was droning on about, “Fuck Bobby, just pick your balls up and take a chance.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes at her, “Jess wants to be with Lucas. I’m not taking that away from her.”</p><p>Christ. She really wanted to just tell him they’d broken up. But she hadn’t actually spoken to Jess about Lucas - it was a taboo subject apparently - so they could very well be back together. She wouldn’t put it past Jess. It would be just like her to run and hide behind the safe option.</p><p>Plus, Jess trusted her. She wasn’t going to fuck that up by giving away her secrets.</p><p>
  <em> Ever. </em>
</p><p>“Yeah, well, you haven’t exactly told her she has another option, have you?”</p><p>“No, and I’m not going tae,” he said, uncharacteristically grumpy.</p><p>She paused for a moment, “Bobby -”</p><p>“No!” he growled, raising a hand up to cut her off. </p><p>Lottie was a little taken aback; she didn’t think she’d ever seen him actually annoyed before.</p><p>“Listen to me, yeh need tae stay out of it. Me and Jess are friends and it’s going tae stay that way until <em> I </em> decide to change it. Which isn’t tonight. But it doesn’t matter because we have time to figure it out, yeh on the other hand, are this close,” he held his fingers up millimetres away from each other, “To losing Gary.”</p><p>“Gary hates me,” she said, flicking her hair, trying to be nonchalant, even though the thought was soul crushing.</p><p>“No, Gary is hurt. Yeh have tae fucking stop playing games Loz, Gary isn’t like that, he can’t function like that. He needs a girl who’s all in and tonight yer going to show him that’s yeh, by splitting us and them up.”</p><p>“That would put you with Hannah,” she pointed out, knowing Bobby didn’t like Hannah very much.</p><p>He shrugged, “Not ideal, but I’ll live, hopefully it’s just until the next recoupling.”</p><p>“We could pick Henrik and Priya, then at least we’d both have someone we semi-like.”</p><p>He chuckled, “Right, and undo everything you did last night?”</p><p>He was right of course. Damn it. She had specifically chosen Bobby last night as a weird way to prove to Gary that she wasn’t going to dump him for Henrik. Yet. But he still hadn’t spoken to her, so, apparently it was too subtle. </p><p>
  <em> Fucking dumbshit. </em>
</p><p>Jess was right; they were surrounded by idiots.</p><p>“Come on Loz, be brave. Choose Gary. Yeh can work this out, yev just got tae start being honest with each other and stop playing coy.”</p><p>“I don’t think he likes me anymore.”</p><p>“I know he does.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yes,” he groaned, frustrated, “Now can we go and get yeh yer man?”</p><p>Alright, maybe Bobby wasn’t a <em> complete </em> moron. He was OK. Maybe a tiny bit cool. Maybe. Even if he <em> was </em>like an annoying younger brother, despite being older than her.</p><p>Nodding her acceptance, she was actually getting a little excited about the possibility of making up with Gary. And nervous.</p><p>
  <em> What if he didn’t want to?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What if I'm basically just kidnapping him? Forcing him to be in a relationship he doesn't want?</em>
</p><p>Not for the first time tonight, Lottie really wished she’d read her tea leaves so she could see what was going to happen. How Gary would react.</p><p>As they started walking back to the fireplace, she told Bobby, “You’re saying the speech.”</p><p>He shot her a wide grin, “Alright, <em> chicken</em>.”</p><p>She punched him on the shoulder. Ok, ok, she <em> did </em>like Bobby. A little. </p><p>Taking their places around the firepit, Lottie almost laughed at how nervous everyone looked. It was weird; being in a position of power. Everything looked so different when you knew what was going to happen and no one else did.</p><p>Bobby straightened, looking confident as he started his speech.</p><p>
  <em> This should be dumb, as always. </em>
</p><p>“I think everyone here knows that while me and Lottie are great friends, it's never going tae be a love story. I mean, a cupcake and a moth. Ew,” he said, shaking his head like the thought was disgusting.</p><p>Everyone snickered quietly to themselves and Lottie had to hold back a smirk. She hated that she found him kind of funny sometimes. Mostly annoying. Always stupid. But, <em> sometimes</em>, funny.</p><p>“On that note, the first couple we want to switch is….”</p><p>
  <em> Pause for dramatic effect.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> This show is truly awful; as if the audience wouldn't already know. </em>
</p><p>“Me and Lottie.”</p><p>Jess beamed at them both, clapping enthusiastically, while the rest of the Islanders joined in, just as happy with this news. Likely because they now had less of a chance of being broken up. </p><p>
  <em> Selfish pricks. </em>
</p><p>Lottie chose that moment to look at Gary. He was looking back at her with a small smile and she swore she could see a bit of excitement in his eyes. He thought she was going to pick him. </p><p>Huh. And he was <em> happy </em>about it? </p><p>She couldn’t help but feel a little excited at that and warmth flowed through her body. Fuck. She was a fucking simp.</p><p>Bobby waited till it quietened down and started his next speech. </p><p>“If it were up tae us, we wouldn’t separate any couple tonight. But we have tae do what we have tae do,” he shrugged and looked around at the group, “We are breaking up these two people, not because they aren’t a good couple, but because we are looking for love.”</p><p>Bobby sighed deeply beside her. She knew he hated doing this and now she kind of felt bad for making him be the bearer of bad news. </p><p><em> Dear god.</em> <em> Fine, you little bitch, I’ll do it. </em></p><p>As Bobby opened his mouth, Lottie grabbed his arm, nails digging in slightly harder than she meant to, “Let me,” she whispered. </p><p>After giving her a confused look, he nodded and waved his hand, gesturing for her to step forward. </p><p>Lottie opened her mouth to speak, but got distracted by Jess. And her smile. A smile so wide, it spread across her face, crinkling her eyes up. She must know. She must know that Lottie was going to pick Gary and she was so fucking happy that her friend was finally going to end up with the guy she wanted. Everyone in a mile radius of her could probably feel her happiness about what was going to happen. Hell, astronauts on the moon could probably feel it.</p><p>
  <em> Jesus.  </em>
</p><p>It was just so fucking <em>selfless</em>.</p><p>It made Lottie grimace. </p><p>Why did Jess have to always be fucking Mother Theresa? It was annoying as fuck. Jess's worst trait.</p><p>Lottie had never really been 100% selfless in her life. Even taking Lucas on a date was partly for her own benefit. Killed two birds with one stone; she didn’t have to spend the day with a platonic friend, and Jess and Bobby could spend time together, on an actual date.</p><p>Ideally they would have just made out and been done with the whole friendship charade, but Jess is too good for that apparently. </p><p>Lottie scoffed. <em> Imagine </em> refusing to kiss someone until you were coupled up. Jess was fucking mental. Busy riding a high horse no one cared about in the Villa. Or on the outside. Didn’t she know you have to go out and <em> take </em>what you want?</p><p>Looking at Jess’s smile, Lottie wondered if <em> she </em> would ever be that happy for her friend. </p><p>Obviously, she wanted Jess and Bobby to get together, but it was 50% because she wanted them to stop annoying her, and 50% because she wanted to be right. </p><p>She had sat in the Beach House and told the world that she <em> knew </em>they’d get together. Partly to get it out of her system, but also so she could watch it back and smugly tell them ‘ha!’. </p><p>So far, all it had done is create the mess that was the Family Matters challenge. Or she assumed it had; their families had almost quoted her word for word. Plus, it seemed unlikely that either of them would be ranting about their unrequited feelings in the Beach Hut; they were both too fucking proud, even now. <em>Idiots. </em></p><p>Sometimes she hated them both.</p><p>Other times, she loved them far too much.</p><p>Not that she’d ever admit it.</p><p>Ever.</p><p>
  <em> God, that one time I told Bobby I liked him almost made me gag. Moment of weakness. Never again. </em>
</p><p>She was pulled out of her thoughts by Bobby putting his hand on her shoulder, “Yeh alright?”</p><p>“Oh, yeah, sorry,” she muttered.</p><p>
  <em> Crap. </em>
</p><p>Clearing her throat, she said loudly, “The second couple we want to switch up is…”</p><p>
  <em> Pause so the producers don’t yell at me later. Internal eye roll. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Gary and Hannah. </em>
</p><p>But the words caught in her throat and she choked on them. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t make herself say the words. </p><p>
  <em> Stop being a fucking pussy. What is wrong with you? </em>
</p><p>Suddenly, as though being pulled by their own free will, her eyes flickered to Jess again and, in that moment, she knew. Deep within her. She knew what she had to do.</p><p><em> Fuck it. Fuck the consequences. Fuck Gary. Fuck Bobby. Fuck Jess. </em> </p><p>At least doing this will get those two out of her hair. Or, more specifically, she might stop tearing her own hair out.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, she looked directly at Jess and said, “Jess and Lucas.” </p><p>At first, there are a few seconds of silence, where all Lottie can hear is the sound of her heart pounding. Then there was nothing <em> but </em>noise as everything happened all at once, overwhelming her.</p><p>Bobby grabbed Lottie’s arm and hissed, “What the fuck are yeh doing?”</p><p>Out of the corner of her eye she saw Gary’s head snap up, confusion on his face.</p><p>The other couples turned to each other and started murmuring, confused by what was happening. </p><p>But all of that faded into the background as she watched Jess go from a beautiful smiling angel to an angry vengeful demon. </p><p>
  <em> Why is she so angry?  </em>
</p><p>Lottie thought Jess might be a <em> little </em> annoyed, but she certainly didn’t expect <em> this </em>level of hate. All directed squarely at Lottie. If looks could kill.</p><p>All the murmuring around the fire pit stopped abruptly when Jess let out an indignant sounding, <em>“What?”</em></p><p>Lottie heard an unintentional tremor in her voice as she said, “Um, I said Jess and Lucas.”</p><p>Jess let out a short, sarcastic laugh, “Oh no, I heard what you fucking said, I was giving you a chance to change it,” every word dripping with vitriol.</p><p>“Jess, I…” she trailed off, not sure what to say. </p><p>
  <em> What the fuck is your problem? I just did you a favour. </em>
</p><p>Lucas - who looked pissed too but Lottie gave zero fuck's - cleared his throat, reading angrily from a text he’d just received, “Bobby and Jess. Lottie and Lucas. You are now coupled up and will -”</p><p>He cut himself off as Jess jumped to her feet and yelled, “Un. Fucking. Believable!” before stomping past Lottie and Bobby and across the lawn.</p><p>Everything was silent and all Lottie could concentrate on was the panic coursing through her veins.</p><p>
  <em> What in the name of all that is holy? </em>
</p><p>“Jess, wait, I don’t understand why you’re so upset?” Lottie called out, chasing after her. Fuck that girl was fast; she was already halfway to the Villa.</p><p>She spun around, and if Lottie thought Jess was mad before, she discovered she was wrong. <em> Very </em>wrong. The look she was giving her right now made Lottie want to crawl into darkness and disappear. Jess’s hands were at her sides, balled into fists and her whole body shook with barely concealed rage. In her eyes, Lottie could see her trying to struggle to maintain control. Honestly, that was the scariest part of all. What the fuck would it look like if she let all her anger out? Was it weird Lottie kind of wanted to see it?</p><p>Jess took several menacing steps towards her, and it took everything in her power to not step back. Fuck that girl was terrifying.</p><p>
  <em> I hope I’m that scary when I’m angry. </em>
</p><p>Lowering her voice so the others at the firepit couldn’t hear, Jess spat out, “I asked you and you said no. You. Fucking. <em> Lied</em>. To my fucking face!” </p><p>Lottie opened and closed her mouth, still not entirely sure what was going on. What the fuck was she talking about? Lied about what?</p><p>Jess’s jaw locked as she eyed Lottie for a moment, then choked out, “I believed you,” before throwing her a disgusted look, spinning on her heel and storming off.</p><p>
  <em> Oh. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuuuucccckkkkk.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Jess thought I lied to her about liking Lucas.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, fuck, fuck. </em>
</p><p>Lottie ran her hands through her hair. Shit. She had no fucking clue how to fix this.</p><p>Suddenly Bobby was standing in front of her, anger and hurt in his eyes. </p><p>“What the fuck did yeh do that for? I told yeh tae stay out of it Lottie!” he asked in a low growl.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Not you too. Jesus. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The two people that should be the happiest about what I just did, are trying to come for me?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Nope. </em>
</p><p>Anger shot through her; she wasn’t going to put up with any of this bullshit. If the two of them had just fucking <em> talked</em>, no one would be standing there thinking all of this was her fault. She didn’t fucking <em> betray </em> them, she <em> helped </em> them. She was not going to be their fucking scapegoat. <em> Fuck. That.  </em></p><p>“Listen to me Bobby. You need to tell her and you need to fucking tell her <em> tonight</em>,” she angrily whispered, both of them aware of not letting the others overhear.</p><p>He snapped his head back in surprise.</p><p>“Don’t look at me like that. Here are your options: you tell her that you like her, or I will. Because when she wants answers about what happened, I’m <em> not </em>lying to her. Either way, the dog days are over, so you better fucking embrace this chance to be with her. You’re fucking welcome.”</p><p>“Are yeh fucking kidding? Jess is pissed at <em> you </em> because she wants tae be with Lucas. The very <em>idea </em> of being with me instead is, quote, <em> ‘unbelievable’</em>. Yeh were the one that made this decision, nae me, so leave me out of it.”</p><p>She really could have smacked him in that moment. God, they were both so dumb.</p><p>“Either way, she’s going to find out, it’s your choice how.”</p><p>“Lottie, yeh can’t do this.”</p><p>“I already did.”</p><p>Then she turned on her heel and stormed off too, acutely aware that she’d pissed Bobby, Jess and Gary off, all with one reckless decision.</p><p>When she thought about it, it was actually kind of funny.</p><p>
  <em> Anyone else got any bridges that need burning? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Tonight, I’m in full pyro mode. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Three hours later, Jess felt calm. Guilty about the way she screamed at her friend, instead of just talking, but calm none-the-less. </p><p>As she was making her dramatic exit from the firepit, the producers had text her to go to the Beach Hut so she’d tossed her phone on the ground, leaving it somewhere on the lawn as she walked back inside. Insistent, they’d come to find her and she’d basically - with a few extra words - told them to fuck off. She wasn’t going to act like their fucking puppet. Remembering their reactions made her laugh; their faces had been a perfect picture of shock and fear.</p><p>Kinda made her feel like a badass.</p><p>After a long hot shower and getting changed into her two piece pj’s (because as far as she was concerned, the night was done), she had gone down, refusing to answer all but one question.</p><p><b>How do you feel about Lottie’s decision tonight?</b> “I’m pretty fucking pissed at Lottie for lying to me about having feelings for Lucas. I thought we were friends but I guess I was wrong. Honestly, I just don’t understand what is going on. Why does everyone want Lucas suddenly? He's not even that great.” <em>Shit. Instant regret.</em> Sighing, she carried on, “But I guess I feel ok about her decision to choose Lucas, I mean, at least she had the balls to do it right to my face, looking me dead in the eye. Gotta be a <em> little </em>impressed by that. Still angry, but impressed. Those are some fucking guts right there.”</p><p>Right now, laying on the roof terrace bed, staring at the sky, she was wallowing deep in her thoughts.</p><p><em>Weird </em>thoughts. </p><p>Like how she felt free from Lucas, which is something she didn’t expect. She knew she wasn’t <em>with</em> him anymore, but <em> free?</em> That was a shock to her.</p><p>And then there were the even weirder thoughts. About how she’d felt like crying when Lucas interrupted her and Bobby in the pool. One semi-interested look from Bobby and what, she’s ready to break all the rules? All the safeguards she’d put in place to stop this exact thing from happening? <em> Damn it. Come on! </em></p><p>Plus, she was 99% sure it was just wishful thinking. He’d seemed totally chill after that, like nothing had happened. Truthfully, she was a little embarrassed that she’d even thought, for a split second, <em> maybe </em>he wanted to kiss her too.</p><p>But he wanted Priya. Not her.</p><p>And if she were truly being honest with herself; <em> that’s </em>why she had avoided him all day.</p><p>
  <em> God, I really am an idiot. </em>
</p><p>Thankfully, the sound of someone knocking on the door stopped her from spiralling further down <em>that</em> rabbit hole. Still, she wasn’t happy about being interrupted <em> again</em>. So far all the girls - except Lottie - had come to try to talk to her. Could they not see she was avoiding everyone? How could she make it any clearer to them?</p><p>Reluctantly, she lifted her head and saw Bobby standing in the doorway. She couldn’t help laughing a little when she saw his face; he looked nervous, almost a little scared. </p><p>
  <em> Wow. I really was scary huh? </em>
</p><p>Despite not being entirely sure this was a good idea, she sat up and patted the spot beside her, “Come on then Bee.”</p><p>Smiling, he walked over, offering her the items in his hands, “Wine or chocolate chip cookie?”</p><p>“Wine first.”</p><p>He chuckled as he set the plate containing two cookies on the coffee table in front of them, then, taking a seat next to her, opened the bottle, took a swig and passed it over to Jess.</p><p>Tipping her head back, Jess took a large gulp of the wine, moaning as she did, “Oh fuck, thanks Bee.”</p><p>“No worries, don’t forget about my cookies though, I worked hard on them.”</p><p>“Oh, did you make them?” she asked, grabbing one and taking a bite. Fuck it was good; more chocolate than cookie, exactly how she liked them.</p><p>“Well yeh kinda made me promise tae bake fer yeh,” he pointed out, taking the other cookie for himself.</p><p>“Oh and <em> this </em>promise you’re following through with huh?” she smirked at him, “What about my Fre-”</p><p>“Don’t say it, yeh shit.”</p><p>She laughed and they fell into silence, eating their cookies and sharing the wine between them. Hanging out with him had always been her favourite thing to do here. She’d kind of forgotten that today; so deep in her own head, she stressed herself out at the thought of it. But this was nice.</p><p>Plus, he'd changed into his usual pj bottoms, no shirt, and she smiled to herself as she looked at the little cake patterns on it. They were just so fucking adorable.</p><p>Still smiling, she turned to him, her breath almost catching at the amused look in his eyes as they glittered in the light. God, his eyes <em> were </em>really gorgeous. Sometimes she got a little lost looking into their warm golden depths.</p><p>
  <em> Can you please just stop. </em>
</p><p>Taking another gulp of wine, she broke the silence, “So. Tell me the truth Bee, how fucking crazy did I look?”</p><p>“Nae gonna lie, pretty mental Lass.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know,” she giggled, “I <em>was</em> pretty pissed though, still am a little.”</p><p>“Because you can’t be with Lucas?” he asked quietly.</p><p>“Ha! We broke up yesterday morning.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh shit. I didn’t mean to say that. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. </em>
</p><p>It was almost comical how wide his eyes opened, “What?”</p><p>“It’s the Villa’s best kept secret,” she joked bitterly.</p><p>“Why did yeh nae just tell me?”</p><p>“Did it matter?”</p><p>For a moment she swore she saw him wince, “Yeh still chose him though?”</p><p>
  <em> Ugh. </em>
</p><p>“Yeah, because I was under the impression that Lottie would pick Henrik and therefore you could get with Priya again. I just decided to take one for the team,” she finished dramatically, waving her arms out before letting out a dry laugh and taking another drink. </p><p>Grimacing at her stupidity she handed him the bottle, “Turns out, I was playing Connect Four and everyone else was playing Chess. Fucked that one up, didn’t I?”</p><p>“A little,” he said as he took a sip and gave it back to her. </p><p>Regarding her with an unreadable expression, his eyes searching hers, “So... yeh <em> don’t </em>want tae be with him?”</p><p>“Well, we’re coupled up so we’re working on it.” </p><p>Really, what else could she say? <em> No, because I’m having confusing as fuck feelings for you so I dumped him because that’s not fair to anyone? </em> Yeah. No.</p><p>“Yer not coupled up with him anymore…” he pointed out, speaking slowly.</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit.  </em>
</p><p>She had been so distracted that she hadn’t even <em>thought</em> about the fact that she was now in a couple with Bobby. Her friend. Who she had a weird secret crush on. Fuck! And let’s not forget about Priya.</p><p>Ok, so she was in a love triangle where she was just an awkward third wheel. </p><p>
  <em> Cool. Great. Fuck.  </em>
</p><p>Suddenly, she felt really fucking nervous to be around Bobby. Oh <em> shit</em>, they had to share a bed. Worst nightmare come to life. He would be there, all hot as fuck. And she’d be there, er, wanting to jump his bones.</p><p>
  <em> Amazing. Can’t wait. Super fun. </em>
</p><p>“Ha,” was all she could come up with and she had some more wine, avoiding eye contact with him. </p><p>Liquid courage. <em>That’s</em> what she’d need for the bullshit pining she’d have to endure for however long they remained a couple. Yeah, that’s normal right? Just spend the entirety of their couple pissed off her face? Eh, at the very least it’d get her kicked off this dumb show. </p><p>
  <em> Hey, maybe that’s actually a decent plan... </em>
</p><p>“Does that change things?” he asked, interrupting the planning of her <em> awful </em>strategy to become an alcoholic on national TV.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>His eyes flashed with annoyance, “It’s not a difficult question. Do yeh still want to be with him?”</p><p>
  <em> Why is he so fucking hung up on this?  </em>
</p><p>“It’s really not that simple, like I -”</p><p>He cut her off, “Aye, it is. Yes or No.”</p><p>“Bobby, could you not for -”</p><p>“Just answer the fucking question Jess.”</p><p>She blinked at him, surprised.<em> God he's annoying tonight.</em></p><p>Tilting her head back to look to the stars, she considered whether or not she was going to tell him the truth. It felt so final; saying it out loud. Especially to Bobby. But if he was insisting on getting an answer, she couldn't lie.</p><p>She took a breath and released a long sigh, “No, I don't.”</p><p>“Right. Good.”</p><p>“Sure, it’s <em> great</em>,” she said sarcastically.</p><p>He grimaced and gave her an apologetic look, “I did nae mean it like -”</p><p>“It’s fine.”</p><p>Jess felt relieved to finally have said it. To someone other than Lucas. Why had she been keeping this a secret again?</p><p>Bobby cleared his throat, “Okay... so if yeh not mad about Lucas, why <em> were </em> yeh so mad?”</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him, “Because Lottie wanted Lucas and she lied to me about it. I’m over here, coupling up with a guy I had <em> just </em>kicked to the curb to give her what I thought she wanted, and she’s there, screwing me over.”</p><p>“She didn’t.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Bobby sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked frustrated. On autopilot, she passed him the wine and he took a grateful sip, before speaking cautiously, “She blindsided me, I thought we were picking Gary. But Lottie does <em> not </em> want tae be with Lucas. She, er, did this fer... me.”</p><p>“For you?”</p><p>He took another drink and fixed her with an unreadable look, almost staring her down, “So I can be in a couple with yeh.”</p><p>Assuming he was joking, Jess laughed. Lottie wasn’t <em> that </em>dumb.</p><p>Bobby’s jaw locked in annoyance; a look she’d never seen directed at her before and it made her laughter die instantly.</p><p>Wait, he can’t be fucking serious, can he?</p><p>“Oh. Are you being serious?”</p><p>“I am.”</p><p>“Oh,” she looked out at the view, chewing on her lip in thought. </p><p>Lottie was a lot of things, but she wasn’t stupid. Why the fuck would she think Bobby would want to be in a couple with <em> her?</em> Jess had literally told Lottie yesterday that he liked Priya. </p><p>Slowly, she asked, “Did you tell her about your feelings for Priya?” </p><p>Bobby rolled his eyes at her, but not in the playful way he normally did it.</p><p>Was he actually mad at her? Why? She did nothing.</p><p>“Christ Jess. I don’t like Priya. And if this is about last night, just tae clarify, I do not want tae, nor have I <em> ever </em> kissed Priya, or anyone else for that matter. There’s only one girl I want tae kiss and it’s not <em> her</em>.”</p><p>Her relief that he hadn’t actually been hooking up with Priya was short-lived. She so desperately wanted to ask who, but she actually didn’t want to know. It made her feel nauseous thinking about him wanting to kiss someone else. </p><p>Instead she said, “Oh, right. Well, I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.”</p><p>Shaking his head in disbelief, he took another long sip, not saying anything, just staring in front of him, a pissed off expression on his face.</p><p>
  <em> Shit Bobby, I’m just trying to help. </em>
</p><p>“Either way, not a lot we can do about it now,” she laughed slightly, awkwardly, “Besides, we’ve always said we’d make a great friendship couple, and you could -”</p><p>She stopped talking when Bobby scoffed loudly.</p><p>Leaning forward, he put the wine bottle on the table in front of them and ground out, “What if we were more than a friendship couple?”</p><p>She tried to search his eyes but he was now staring at the floor, shoulders tense, jaw clenched in either annoyance or determination. His whole demeanor was freaking her out.</p><p>“What?” she breathed.</p><p>“Yeh heard me, Jess”</p><p>“I…”</p><p>More? Like sex? Like <em> just </em> sex? Or maybe he meant <em> pretending </em> to be more. To win the money? Crap. She was so fucking confused.</p><p>“I don’t know what you mean...”</p><p>“Fuck Jess!” he lifted his hands and rubbed his temples as he spoke through clenched teeth, “Are yeh <em> trying </em>tae be obtuse?”</p><p>She was shocked by his tone. What the fuck was his deal?</p><p>“Why are you angry with <em>me?</em> I didn't do anything to you.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m not,” he sighed deeply, running his hands over his face, still not looking at her, “This is really hard. I’m kind of fucking it up. I wasn’t really expecting tae do this, Lottie forced my hand. I just…”</p><p>Groaning, he tilted his head to the sky, going silent as he worked through his thoughts.</p><p>Jess sat there quietly, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She was kind of scared, her mind racing, no fucking clue what he was going to say. What did Lottie have to do with it? What wasn’t he expecting? Ugh. She had to press her hands together to ease some of the tension in her shoulders and brain.</p><p>This whole day had been fucking shit.</p><p>After a few minutes he turned his body to face her, his eyes studying her for a moment before he huffed, “Fuck it. Look Jess, I really like yeh. A lot, actually. It’s <em> you</em>; I want tae kiss <em> you</em>,” he looked at her with an almost sad expression, “I... I want tae be with yeh.”</p><p>Breaking eye contact, she stared at her hands uncomprehendingly. Unable to focus on anything as her mind swirled and she struggled to breathe.</p><p>Why did he have to say <em> that?</em></p><p>It just all felt too real. She felt as though she were standing on top of a diving board, looking down as the water kept moving further and further away from her. She couldn’t do it; she couldn’t jump.</p><p>How do you do it? How do you tell the person you like that you’re scared? That you want to rewind the clock so you can change everything and never arrive at this point? That you just want them to take it back so you can fucking breathe again?</p><p>She couldn’t think straight, not able to work out what she wanted to say. Or what she wanted in general.</p><p>Did she want to cry? Scream? Kiss him? Run away? </p><p>Er... all of the above. At the same time.</p><p>Without her even noticing, her mouth started speaking before her brain had figured anything out.</p><p>“Bobby, I don’t -” she cut herself off as she saw him wince, starting to turn his body away from her.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. No. </em>
</p><p>Automatically, she reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back to face her,  “No, that’s not – I wasn’t – It’s – Well – I just – You…”</p><p>
  <em>Jesus Christ. </em>
</p><p>She huffed a breath, slightly amused by her ability to be a blubbering mess in the moment when her friendship with Bobby was hanging on by a thread. Bobby titled his head, watching her, his expression cautious but patient.</p><p>And then, she got distracted by the feeling of his skin under her palm. Simultaneously soothing her nerves, and crackling with awareness of him. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest, it’s rhythm just as strong and fast as hers, it’s beat seeping into her.</p><p>She stared at her hand for a moment, noticing her index finger was touching a freckle. Then, like an actual crazy person, she slowly moved her finger to another freckle, then another. Finding herself tracing patterns in the adorable marks on his shoulder.</p><p>Looking back up, she found Bobby still watching her, his gaze intense, drawing her in. </p><p>
  <em> Oh right. It’s Bobby. </em>
</p><p>Without conscious thought, her other hand reached up to his cheek, fingers now tracing patterns with the freckles on his face. In the back of her mind, she knew she was being fucking weird, but he was looking at her like he kind of liked it and she couldn’t stop. Just as she couldn’t stop her fingers from tentatively brushing over his lips.</p><p>Bobby closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them back up, they were filled with restrained lust. It made her breath catch in her throat and desire shoot to her core. Just like that, all she could think about was him. She was consumed; intoxicated by his cinnamon scent; spicy and sweet and so fucking tempting.</p><p>She didn’t even realise that she was leaning into him until she had to shift her body to get closer. And suddenly, her thighs were pressed up against his, his arm around her waist, and everywhere they touched made her want more. More of him. She wanted everything.</p><p>Dropping her hand to his other shoulder, she gently pulled him towards her, their faces almost touching as she continued staring into his almost black eyes, wide, unsure, wanting.</p><p>“Jess…” he whispered brokenly, his voice thick with want and <em> fuck </em>if the sound of him saying her name like that didn’t make her hum with need.</p><p>His fingers flexed slightly on her waist; clearly fighting the urge to drag her to him, but otherwise he hadn’t moved at all, waiting for her to make the first move. It was kinda hot. Like, really <em> really </em>hot.</p><p>Closing her eyes, she moved even closer, lips millimetres apart, their ragged gasping breath mingling in the space. Her heart was beating fast, head heavy with anticipation, body overwhelmed with her desperate urge to kiss him. <em> All </em>she wanted to do was close the distance between them. </p><p>And yet, she couldn’t help hesitating; knowing deep down inside that the moment their lips touched; it would be over. Everything would change.</p><p>But maybe it already had.</p><p>Bobby made a little frustrated groan in his throat and moved one hand up to cup the back of her neck, fingers twisting into her hair. He didn’t pull her closer like she expected, instead just held her there and whispered, “Fuck Jess, <em> please</em>, just kiss me.”</p><p>
  <em> I want to. So much. </em>
</p><p>She closed the gap and as their lips touched she almost couldn’t breath. It was like everything began and ended with him; he was her past, present and future, a concept she didn't have time to wrap her mind around before she melted into him and forgot everything.</p><p>Her whole body felt alive; sparked to life and filled with awareness, filled with excitement. She just couldn’t stop the needy desperate whimper that came out of her, and he responded with a grunt of his own, tightening his arm around her, pulling her closer with his hand in her hair as she dug her nails into his shoulder, afraid he’d pull away.</p><p>The longer they sat there, lips moving reverently against one another’s, the stronger the feeling got. And suddenly, the force of her feelings for him slammed into her. She couldn’t pretend it wasn't there, she couldn't avoid it; her house of make believe lay shattered at her feet, refusing to be ignored.</p><p>
  <em> Oh god, I really fucking like Bobby.  </em>
</p><p>Instead of the fear that usually came with that thought, this time it made her smile, her lips turning up of their own accord. She felt oddly light-headed, giddy even.</p><p>Slowly he ended the kiss, pressing several more light but lingering kisses on her lips as he moved away, as though he couldn’t bear to separate from her, like he just couldn’t help it. If she had been standing, her knees would have buckled at the sweetness of the moment.</p><p>Opening her eyes, she found him staring at her; his eyes still dark but also filled with light and mouth quirked up in a grin that took over his face.</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit. </em>
</p><p>Her eyes flicked to his lips and a shiver coursed through her at the thought of kissing him again. It was like fireworks had exploded inside her and now she wanted more.</p><p>Bobby groaned deep in this throat as he tugged her back to him, pressing his lips to hers, hard and demanding. There was nothing of the gentle exploration from before. It was all passion. The kind that consumed you, like an addiction designed to drive you insane, made you feel as though you were on fire. The way he was kissing her, as though he didn’t want to stop; it left her breathless. </p><p>She sunk herself into the feeling, kissing him like he was the only thing keeping her alive. And he kissed her back just as hard; sliding his tongue teasingly along her bottom lip before sucking her lip lightly into his mouth. Fuck. He was so fucking good at this. Bobby tugged on her hair, making her gasp with pleasure and he slid his tongue into her open mouth and tangled it with hers. She barely had time to think about how fucking great of a move that was before she stopped thinking all together. Completely driven by her desire for him.</p><p>Sliding her hands into his dreads, she tugged them gently, urging him closer even though there was no space between them and making him groan into her mouth. A sound that made her toes curl and goosebumps travel along her arms. <em> Oh my fucking god. </em></p><p>Still kissing her fiercely, only breaking on occasion to gasp for air, he lowered her back down to the bed, laying down half beside, half on top of her, one leg flung over her hips, as if to stop her from leaving. It wasn’t necessary, she wasn’t going anywhere; she was <em> exactly </em>where she wanted to be. </p><p>One of his hands travelled to her stomach, finding the gap between her top and bottoms and tracing small circles on her skin. His touch ignited her, sending need coursing deep through her soul. Dear <em> god</em>, she couldn’t get enough. He wasn’t close enough. She wanted all of him. Her body begged her to wrap her legs around him. To have him thrust himself against her. <em> Shit. </em> She pressed her thighs together tightly to try to ease the flood of desire. </p><p>Suddenly, he broke the kiss, grunting out a husky, “<em>Christ Jess,</em>” before burying his face in her neck and pressing light kisses to it as they both struggled to catch their breath.</p><p>Trying desperately to swallow her need, she ran her hands soothingly up and down his back, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to claw back her self-control from wherever it had gone.</p><p>As he lifted his head, her heart stuttered. He was so fucking gorgeous; still panting softly, a sheen of sweat along his forehead, and eyes deep and dark with desire.</p><p>He smiled at her and reality came crashing down. </p><p><em> Holy fucking shit. I just made out with my best friend. </em>On television. After he told her he liked her. And she still hadn’t said it back. To top it all off, she had only been like thirty seconds away from demanding he fuck her. </p><p>
  <em> Jesus Christ. </em>
</p><p>A small bubble of laughter escaped her, then another, and another, until she was giggling uncontrollably. Frowning, he watched her for a few seconds before he started laughing too; both of them now in a full fit of laughter, neither of them quite sure why.</p><p>By the time they’d calmed down, he was laying on his back next to her, looking at the sky.</p><p>Sighing happily - because for some reason, she <em>was </em>really happy - she turned her head to the side to look at him, and he did the same, stupid grin on his face. He looked happy and amused and, honestly, so fucking hot.</p><p>Biting her lip, she let out a small giggle, “What the fuck have we just done Bee?”</p><p>He laughed lightly, rolling onto his side and leaning on his elbow so he was hovering over her, “Well, I think most people would agree tha’ we just snogged each other’s faces off Lass.”</p><p>“Bobby! Jesus Christ!” she groaned and covered her face with her hands.</p><p>He chuckled and tugged at her wrists gently to get her to drop her hands. But she wasn’t quite ready to face him. It’s not that she was embarrassed, it’s just… now she was back in reality and not dazed by his kiss, the worry and fear had started to seep in.</p><p>Mostly because she had decided. She wanted to do this; wanted Bobby. How could she not?</p><p>Well... she <em> also </em> wanted to be kidnapped and taken very far away from here. Just be flown to some random city and start a new life. Hell, she'd even take hiding in the pantry for the rest of her time here.</p><p>But she could still do this right? She could <em> try </em>at the very least. Maybe?</p><p>Peeking through her fingers, she found him looking thoughtful and, if she was being honest, a little unsure. It kind of crushed her.</p><p>How could he be unsure after the way she’d just kissed him? She thought she’d been pretty fucking clear. Was that not clear enough? Jesus.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Shit. Ok.  </em>
</p><p>She needed to tell him that she liked him. </p><p>God. Alright. Where were her words?</p><p>She lifted her hands from her face to cup his cheeks, running her fingers along his temple. Taking a shaky breath, she suddenly felt very nervous.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. Shit.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck, I feel like I’m going to hurl. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh god, please don’t do that. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No. You’re good. Totally fine. Everything is great. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Deep breaths, deep breaths. </em>
</p><p>He was looking at her curiously, clearly waiting for her to work out what she was going to say.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. How long have I been silent for?  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Just say something. Literally anything. The first thing that comes out of your mouth. Just go with it.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Do it. </em>
</p><p>Turns out, it wasn’t the greatest piece of advice she’d ever given herself and instead of being eloquent and succinct, the words tumbled messily out of her mouth, each one a filler, as though she was just biding her time until she got to what she really wanted to say, “I maybe, er, sort of… kind of, um, possibly… like you too.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh yeah, he’s definitely going to be sure now. Great work Jess. </em>
</p><p>His eyes widened briefly before he let out a bark of laughter and said, “Really?” </p><p>“No, not really, I regularly make out with people I don’t like,” she said sarcastically, finding it far more comfortable to just make jokes about it instead.</p><p>Chuckling, he lowered his lips down to hers, hovering right above and making her breath hitch, “Oh, yeh do, do yeh? Here I thought I was special.”</p><p>“You’re definitely not,” she teased on a whisper.</p><p>He chuckled and muttered, “Fuck off.”</p><p>Then he closed the distance, both of them smiling as they sunk into the kiss. It was slow and sweet, full of care and affection, and she couldn’t help losing herself in it again. The way he stroked her cheek so tenderly, made her hum with happiness, made her feel giddy and stupid. She was a fully grown woman but in that moment, she felt like a teenager.</p><p>He pulled away slowly and looked down at her as though he thought she was the cutest thing in the world. </p><p>
  <em>I mean, obviously he's correct there.</em>
</p><p>“So...” he started, an amused smile playing at his lips, “Did the challenges ruin the magic of our first kiss?”</p><p>She tapped her chin, pretending to think about it, “Well… technically you got three out of me, so now it’s hard to remember the first…”</p><p>Rolling his eyes, he scoffed in response.</p><p>She just couldn’t help herself from tugging his face closer and giving him a short kiss before saying dramatically, “Four! It’s all becoming a blur!”</p><p>His grin took over his entire face as he leant back in, planting a series of quick pecks on her cheeks and lips, until they were both laughing, and she pushed him away.</p><p>Trailing her fingernails absentmindedly up and down his chest, she answered, “It was nice.”</p><p>He raised his eyebrow at her, “Just <em> nice </em>huh? Ouch.”</p><p>“Ugh. Fine. It was great.”</p><p>“Eh, that still seems a little insulting.”</p><p>Exasperated, she asked, “What do you want to hear Bee? That it was perfect?”</p><p>He gave her a cocky grin, “Oh! <em> Perfect?”</em></p><p>“Don’t be so fucking smug,” she huffed.</p><p>He threw his head back and laughed, “I’m gonna need tae start a list to keep track of all the gifs I’m gonna send yeh Lass.”</p><p>
  <em> Ugh! He’s so bloody annoying! </em>
</p><p>Rolling her eyes, she pushed herself up into a seated position, playfully batting him on the shoulder as he sat up too. She stretched her arms out and let out a yawn and he watched her, a dopey affectionate smile on his face.</p><p>“What?” she asked, stifling another yawn.</p><p>He shrugged, “Yer cute.”</p><p>Ignoring the flutter in her chest she scoffed, “Oh, ok then Casanova.”</p><p>He suddenly stood up, grinning brightly as he pulled her to her feet. Once she’d stood, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he murmured happily, “I’m so down fer a cuddle tonight.”</p><p>“Pretty presumptuous to assume I’ll cuddle with you.”</p><p>His grin widened, “Ye’ll have no choice, I starfish like yeh would nae believe.”</p><p>“Greeeaaat. Can’t wait for the next recoupling so I can get rid of you.”</p><p>He let her go, skipping off to the door and calling out in a smug tone, “Nae, yeh maybe, sort of, kind of, possibly like me.”</p><p>“Less and less by the second,” she grumbled.</p><p>But the opposite was true.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Bobby was sitting in the Beach Hut, having been called there on the way to bed. Which sucked. Mostly because now that he was maybe more than friends with Jess, he kind of didn’t want to be too far apart from her. He supposed he’d have to at some point. Just seemed a little unfair that it had to happen right then. The producers sucked.</p><p><b>How do you feel about the kiss with Jess? </b>He involuntarily grinned, not able to stop himself from looking like a fucking idiot as he said, “Pfft! The kiss was nae even the best part! She fucking said she likes me! Well, ok, there were a lot of maybe’s and kind of’s in there, but, hey, I’ll take it!”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. I'm keeping my options open</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oh Em Gee!!! We're so happy!!!!!!! </p><p>Or are we?</p><p>*looks at chapter title*</p><p>Chelsea: *throws cushions at wall*<br/>Everyone else: *sharpens knife*</p><p>Woah, relax, it'll be... fun?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess woke up to Bobby softly running a hand up and down her back, the action so soothing and comforting she never wanted him to stop. </p><p>She wasn’t sure if she could define how they were cuddled up as him being a starfish so much as her being clingy as fuck. So clingy, she might have been embarrassed about it. But she wasn't. Because she was kind of enjoying it. A lot.</p><p>With Bobby on his back, he held her close with one arm snaked around her while she lay almost on top of him, legs tangled together and her cheek pressed against his chest. She <em>might</em> have been listening to the sounds of his heart. She probably wouldn't mind staying here forever; the bedroom dark and quiet, making it feel like they were in a world of their own.</p><p>Eventually she lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest so she could look up at him. His look of pure contentment and happiness made her stomach burst with butterflies, and she found herself grinning back.</p><p>For a long time they lay there, staring at each other with goofy smiles. Like straight up weirdos.</p><p>Eh, let's be real, it wasn't exactly unusual for them.</p><p>“Hey you,” she whispered.</p><p>Bobby chuckled, lifting his other arm and running his fingers through her hair as he smiled lazily and replied, “Hey.”</p><p>His voice was rough and groggy, the sound sending shivers down her spine. Oh god. And he looked so fucking hot it <em> hurt.</em> Ugh. She wanted to kiss him again so <em> badly</em>.</p><p>And just like that, her bubble of peaceful bliss was popped.</p><p>Should she? Was it weird? Wait, was lying like this weird? Crap. They hadn’t really talked logistics. What if it didn’t work out between them? Could they go back to being friends? Was she ready to lose him over this? What if she freaked out and fucked it all up? <em>Fuck. </em> What was Bobby expecting? Were they meant to just go straight to a full-blown relationship? Was she ready for that? What if she just <em>thought</em> she could love him, but she was so fucked up she never actually felt that way? What if she <em> couldn’t?</em></p><p>Shit, shit, <em> shit</em>.</p><p>Bobby must have sensed her thoughts because he ran his thumb over her cheek softly and whispered, “Stop overthinking this, Lass. No pressure. Just me and yeh, hanging out, seeing where this goes.”</p><p>Letting out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, she attempted a small smile and choked out, “I like the sound of no pressure.”</p><p>“Good, me too. We’ll take it slow.”</p><p>
  <em> Slow. Yeah. I can do that. Nothing serious. That doesn’t sound scary. </em>
</p><p>As her heart rate slowly returned to normal she asked, “So we’re just casual?”</p><p>His eyebrows knitted into a frown but before he could say anything, the rudely bright lights came on, soon followed the sounds of the others waking.</p><p>Immediately she slipped out of their embrace, rolling to the other side of the bed in foetal position, pulling the sheets over her head and groaning as she did. The lights were the literal worst. It’s why she always tried to wake up before them.</p><p>
  <em> Damn it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Stupid Bobby and his stupid cuddling.</em>
</p><p>She felt Bobby sit up, placing a hand casually on her shoulder under the sheet as he started chatting to the rest of the Islanders.</p><p>She wasn’t paying all that much attention, only really hearing snippets here and there. Mostly it was just Lottie grumbling about not wanting to get up. Jess concurred. She wanted to turn the clock back to a few minutes ago when she was still cuddled with Bobby. Which was pretty embarrassing. Seriously? She hadn't even been coupled up for a whole day yetbut as far as she was concerned, everyone else could leave.</p><p>Recognising that was a pipe dream, she was for now content to lay in her white cocoon as Bobby talked animatedly, moving his thumb back and forth on her skin.</p><p>It was kind of nice that he wanted to keep touching her. Especially after five days coupled with hot and cold Lucas.</p><p>Annndd <em>great</em>. As soon as Lucas entered her mind, it felt like someone had tipped ice water on her. If she felt guilty yesterday, today was so much fucking worse.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. May as well get up now then I guess. </em>
</p><p>Throwing the sheets off, she stood and stretched her arms up, a small smile playing on her lips as she noticed Bobby eyeing the exposed skin on her stomach.</p><p>
  <em> Huh, okay, so now we’re just openly gawking, are we? </em>
</p><p>Let’s not pretend. She was into it. </p><p>When he eventually raised his eyes to her face, she smirked at him but he didn’t shy away, instead giving her a<em> ‘yeah I was staring, what about it’ </em> expression. Which honestly made the whole thing that much hotter and lust spiralled through her, making it hard for her to swallow.</p><p>
  <em> Goddamn it.  </em>
</p><p>She needed to get control of herself. And her hormones. <em> Especially </em>her hormones.</p><p>Breaking eye contact - real quick - she looked around the room, noticing that everyone except Lucas was still in bed, chatting away.</p><p>Which meant no one was in the dressing room yet and she could get ready in peace.</p><p>Or at least that’s what she <em>hoped. </em></p><p>But alas, it was a short lived idea because Lottie jumped out of bed, staring straight at Jess as she announced, “I’m getting up too.”</p><p>
  <em> Crap. This is definitely an ambush. </em>
</p><p>Jess threw a glance to Bobby, who offered her no help.</p><p>
  <em> Ugh. Thanks a lot.</em>
</p><p>Dragging her feet the entire time, Jess walked upstairs, Lottie hot on her tail.</p><p>Once inside, Lottie grabbed an outfit, snatched the one Jess had just picked out, and pushed Jess roughly into the single changing room. Fuck.</p><p>Hanging their clothes up on the hook, Lottie folded her arms over her chest, “So?”</p><p>“You didn’t have to man-handle me,” Jess scoffed, knowing she was just delaying the inevitable.</p><p>“Yes I did. Tell me what happened.”</p><p>With a sigh, Jess said, “I’m really sorry about overreacting last night. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”</p><p>Yes, she may or may not be stalling here.</p><p>“Fuck off,” Lottie scoffed angrily, “I don’t give a shit about that. I couldn’t care less. Tell me what happened.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh. Well that didn’t go to plan. </em>
</p><p>“What happened with Gary?” Jess deflected. Again.</p><p>“Nothing. He’s <em>still</em> refusing to talk to me and I’m sick of it.”</p><p>“Loz, come on.”</p><p>“I don't know,” Lottie grumbled, “I <em> am </em>over it. I think it’s just time to call it a day. I owe it to myself to stop stressing so much about Gary and actually try things with Henrik.”</p><p>“You don’t <em> really </em>think that.”</p><p>“I do right now,” she snapped, “I don’t want to talk about my trashy bullshit non-relationship. You, Bobby, go.”</p><p>Jess clicked her tongue, a little annoyed. Jess was the fucking <em>queen</em> at pretending everything was fine. Lottie wasn't fooling her.</p><p>“Lottie, you can always talk to -”</p><p>“No!” she practically screamed, “I don't want to talk about it Jess. Tell me about Bobby or I'll hit you.”</p><p>“Fuck, threats of physical violence?”</p><p>Lottie glared at her, not amused at all.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>Still wanting to avoid this whole stupid conversation, Jess stared at Lottie as she lifted her top over her head, hoping it would send Lottie running for the hills.</p><p>It didn't. Lottie didn’t move.</p><p>“Like I haven’t seen tits before. Not gonna work.”</p><p>
  <em> Balls.  </em>
</p><p>Huffing, she continued getting changed into her bikini and Lottie did the same, still glaring.</p><p>“The boys would love this right now,” Jess mused.</p><p>“That’s not working either. Spill it.”</p><p>Jess took a quick look in the mirror, feeling pretty happy with her bikini choice today; a neon yellow ribbed bandeau bikini top with neon pink bottoms. Cute. Casual. Not at all showing she was flipping flopping on the inside between intense desire and barely contained worry.</p><p>Sighing, she muttered, “He told me he liked me.”</p><p>Lottie gave her an uncharacteristically excited look, “<em>And?”</em></p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>“Bullshit.”</p><p>To her utter embarrassment, Jess felt herself blushing, “There <em> may </em>have been a little… snog.” <em>Fucking understatement of the decade. </em></p><p>“Finally!” Lottie said triumphantly, “Did you like it?”</p><p>“Er, well, yeah, he’s a pretty good kisser.” <em>Fucking understatement of the century. </em></p><p>“Ew,” Lottie pulled a face at her, “Cool, I guess.”</p><p>“Why ew?”</p><p>“It’s gross to think about.”</p><p>“Not for me,” she shrugged, stepping out of the changing room.</p><p>Like, at all.</p><p>In fact, she’d already thought about quite a few times so far today; little flashes of memory that made her lips tingle.</p><p>Crap. Now she was thinking about it again.</p><p>
  <em> Damn it, Jess. Take a cold shower.</em>
</p><p>Lottie made fake gagging noises all the way to the dressing table where she sat and started her elaborate make-up routine.</p><p>Ignoring her, Jess stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if she was going to put in any extra effort today. It was a pretty short debate that, in a twist that shocked literally no one, ended up in a resounding no. Because she kind of felt super hot right now. Like she could just go out and bag any man she wanted. She was feeling herself, for <em> sure</em>. Mostly because Bobby’s oogling look from earlier just kept coming back to her, making her feel fucking invincible.</p><p>And, well, stirring up fanny flutters. But she wasn’t focusing on that. She needed to rein it the fuck in.</p><p>
  <em> God, today is going to be a long ass day. </em>
</p><p>Especially if she kept thinking about kissing him.</p><p>
  <em> Damn it! </em>
</p><p><em> 5 minutes. </em> <b> <em>That’s</em> </b> <em> your record so far. Fucking pathetic. </em></p><p>Just as she was leaving, Lottie called out to her, “Just so you know, you can always trust me.”</p><p>Jess couldn’t stop herself, she walked over and threw her arms around Lottie, pulling her in for a hug. She appreciated Lottie so fucking much. A little because she really liked the girl, and a little because, as it turns out, she was the reason her and Bobby were now… 'seeing where things went'.</p><p>“Ew. Gross,” Lottie scoffed and pushed Jess away.</p><p>“Oh fuck you too,” she affectionately said.</p><p>Walking outside, Jess found herself alone in the Villa, the other Islanders having clearly not even left the bedroom yet.</p><p>
  <em>Fucking bliss.</em>
</p><p>As she was walking to the kitchen to make a much needed coffee, she spotted Lucas on the swinging couch in the corner of the garden, mostly hidden by a row of hedges, and she hesitated. Shit. She was <em>not</em> looking forward to having to talk to him.</p><p>But she would. She <em>should</em>.</p><p>God, she hated that she cared about people. Or, well, <em>some</em> people.</p><p>It might also have something to do with the guilt thing.</p><p>Regardless of her motivation - <em>definitely</em> the guilt thing - she found herself walking over, already regretting every step. She much preferred horny-for-Bobby Jess to actively-seek-out-painful-conversations Jess. God she was dumbass.</p><p>Upon seeing her, Lucas gave her a sad smile that tugged on her heart strings and she took a seat to him, diving right into the pain, “Penny for your thoughts?”</p><p>He gave her a <em> look</em>, which she deserved for that opener, and grimly said, “I think you can guess.”</p><p>“Yeah… I know this whole thing is um, awkward.”</p><p>He nodded slowly, grimacing as he asked, “So, are you two... together now?”</p><p>Jess hesitated. She really didn't want to tell him anything, but they lived together for fuck’s sake, he’d hear about it anyway.</p><p>“Honestly, I don’t know… maybe?”</p><p>“Right,” he said, pressing his lips together.</p><p>“But I meant what I said. I <em>won’t</em> make this uncomfortable for you.”</p><p>He watched her for a moment, eyes serious as they roamed over her face, “I appreciate it Jess, I… it’s hard… I wish that things had been different between us.”</p><p>“For what it’s worth, I do too,” she whispered, taking his hand.</p><p>She truly meant it. There were so many reasons why it didn’t work out with them but she <em>had</em> cared for him. At one point, she really did think they had something. The fact that they didn't anymore crushed her a little.</p><p>All because she had to be an absolute moron and start shit with the one person she knew she shouldn’t start shit with. Because he would totally and completely destroy her.</p><p>Great. She was back to freaking-the-fuck-out Jess.</p><p>She should go on Dr Phil. Maybe he could help with her multiple personalities.</p><p>
  <em>Okay. Breathe.</em>
</p><p>Everything would be fine.</p><p>Her and Bobby are just going to take this slow, see where it goes, no pressure. She could handle it. It was fine. Casual. She could <em>do</em> casual.</p><p>After a few minutes of relatively comfortable silence - if you exclude Jess going quietly insane - Lucas started telling her some monotonous story that she pretended to be interested in. She kind of missed the old days when, instead of listening, she just stared at his face and imagined dirty things. </p><p>But now she didn't even have that. All her thoughts constantly drifted to Bobby. <em> He </em>was the one she wanted to hear boring stories from. <em>He</em> was the one she wanted to talk to.</p><p>After what felt like hours - aka twenty minutes - they started off towards the kitchen for a coffee, arms linked.</p><p>As they rounded the corner they almost ran straight into Bobby, all three of them stopping abruptly just before they ran into each other. At the sight of him her heart jumped to her throat and she couldn’t stop her eyes from quickly flitting to his abs.</p><p>
  <em> God. Get it together. </em>
</p><p>“Oh! Bobby. Hi,” she rushed out, her face flushing.</p><p>What the actual fuck?</p><p>And also, just curious, <em>when</em> would her lips stop remembering the feeling of his kisses? It was getting super annoying now; this constant want.</p><p>“Hey,” Bobby said hesitantly, his eyes flickering between her and Lucas and then down to where their arms were linked. </p><p>Oh <em> shit</em>. Yeah, this probably looked bad. She tried to let go, but Lucas tightened his arm so she couldn’t without tugging really hard and making herself look even more of an idiot. <em> Dick.  </em></p><p>Bobby raised his eyes slowly back to meet hers and smiled, “Looking great today Jess,” he said cheerfully, not a hint of falseness in his face or voice.</p><p>“Uh. Thanks,” she said awkwardly, blushing even harder.</p><p>
  <em> Jesus fucking Christ. Someone help me.  </em>
</p><p>“Great chat mate, but <em> we </em> have plans,” Lucas said in a rough tone.</p><p>Jess kept looking at Bobby, his golden eyes filled with amusement as she stammered out, “Ah, yeah, but... I mean, er…” </p><p>
  <em> Oh god. </em>
</p><p>Quitting while she was ahead, or rather, before she could embarrass herself more, she looked at the ground. </p><p>
  <em> Kill me now. Please. Lightning strike, freak locust attack, I’ll take anything. Make it hurt if you have to. </em>
</p><p>She heard Bobby chuckle, “Sure, I was off for a swim anyway. Have fun you two.”</p><p>
  <em> Wait, what? </em>
</p><p>Jess spun her head around and watched Bobby’s retreating back.</p><p>
  <em>Have fun? With Lucas?</em>
</p><p>Lucas smirked, “Doesn’t <em> seem </em>like he’s that into you.”</p><p>Jess opened and closed her mouth, not sure what to say.</p><p>Because honestly? </p><p>He was right.</p><p>
  <em> Crap. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Bobby still could not <em> believe </em>she had kissed him. <em>She </em> had kissed <em> him</em>. </p><p>He couldn’t get over it.</p><p>It didn't help that it was all he could think of all morning. It just kept running through his mind, unashamedly on repeat. How soft her lips were, how she’d responded to his touch, how she looked at him, how amazing it felt to have his hands on her skin, how good she’d smelt, the sounds she’d made, the taste of her.</p><p>Fuck. He could go on forever.</p><p>But for the sake of not getting a semi for the third time today, he’d refrain.</p><p>Obviously the kiss wasn’t the <em>only</em> thing he was stoked about; she’d told him that she liked him. Well, kind of. But he could see it in her eyes, feel it in the meaningful way she’d kissed him.</p><p>She liked him. He was sure of it. </p><p>Even more sure after this morning. He'd never slept with someone who cuddled like <em> that </em> before and he couldn’t deny that he was <em> well </em>into the way it felt like she had to be as close as possible to him. Even asleep Jess liked him. </p><p>And it had only gotten better when she'd woken up and looked at him like she was so fucking happy. His heart had almost stopped and he didn’t want to move; just wanted to stay like that forever, in their own little world. The moment couldn’t have been more perfect if he’d written his own fanfiction about it.</p><p>But then she’d given him the <em> look</em>. The one that told him she was scared shitless.</p><p>And listen, he <em> got it</em>. So was he. And she had far more shit to deal with than he did. She’d practically built the Great Wall of China around her heart for fuck's sake.</p><p>Still, he couldn’t <em> help </em> being a little disappointed that she didn’t trust him. That she didn’t already <em> know </em>he wouldn’t hurt her. Well, on purpose anyway. <em>Stupid Priya and her stupid plan.</em></p><p>His disappointment hadn’t really been eased by Jess dropping the word ‘casual’ on him either. </p><p>What the fuck did <em>that</em> mean?</p><p>He had used the word ‘casual’ to describe relationships before. Friends-with-benefits relationships. Hook ups. Flings.</p><p>It scared the shit out of him. Did she not want an actual relationship with him?</p><p>Because he wanted one with her. </p><p>Let’s not lie though; he would take whatever she gave him.</p><p>If she didn't want anything serious, he could do that; he didn't mind taking it slow. Mostly because he wanted to make sure it was right. Make sure there was something <em>more</em> between them; more than just sex. He didn't want to come all the way here just to fall for a girl who only wanted to fuck him. He needed to protect his heart.</p><p>But he felt fairly confident that he could win her over, break down her walls, convince her they were more than just ‘casual’, more than just a few great rounds in bed.</p><p>So he was just going to go with the flow, relax, try not to overthink this.</p><p>She liked him.</p><p>Not even Lucas could convince him otherwise.</p><p>He was 99.9% sure that she was blushing because of this new thing between them, not because he’d caught her doing something. She hadn’t looked guilty at all and he <em> knew </em>Jess. She made him feel safe. There was no way she’d do anything behind his back. There was no reason to be jealous. Especially not about Lucas. She wouldn't go back there.</p><p>Would she?</p><p>There was the tiniest, smallest, remotest possibility that he was panicking about it just a little bit more than he was currently admitting to himself.</p><p>There also might be the tiniest, smallest, remotest possibility that it <em>might</em> have something to do with two new Islanders arriving in the Villa.</p><p>Cherry and Tim.</p><p>After a fairly uninteresting round of introductions, the newbies both received texts to tell them they were each to choose three Islanders to take on a date. Though ‘date’ was used pretty loosely; consisting of two small tables set up on the lawn and a three course brunch where each chosen date would swap out with the every course.</p><p>Cherry hadn’t even hesitated when she’d announced she’d wanted to choose Bobby first. And <em>fuck</em> it had been super flattering. Cherry was pretty hot. Or perhaps <em>striking</em> was more appropriate.</p><p>Either way, she definitely stood out in a crowd with her long bright red hair, matching red lips and gorgeous blue eyes. Not to mention the black one piece she wore that honestly looked like it could blow off her body at any moment.</p><p>He couldn’t deny it; she was attractive.</p><p>Having said that, he couldn’t stop himself from comparing her to Jess, and well, she fell miles short. He was starting to worry that maybe he only had eyes for Jess. As evidenced by the fact that his eyes had kept drifting to wherever she was, at all times of the fucking day.</p><p>He’d hated himself for it.</p><p>In the back of his mind he knew this was Love Island; he shouldn’t be tying himself down to one girl. Even if she was the only thing he could think about right now. Even if he hadn’t liked someone this much in a long time. Even if she was fucking perfect for him.</p><p>At the very least, he <em> should </em>be exploring his options, especially now that there was a new one.</p><p>He really really<em> wanted </em>to give Cherry a chance. It's just... he knew he wasn’t going to. </p><p>He only wanted Jess.</p><p>It sucked.</p><p>Forcing a cheerful smile on his face that he didn’t exactly feel, Bobby took a seat opposite the new girl, “Hey! This spread looks lush right?”</p><p>He waved at the starter course set out on the table, which was some kind of fancy looking salad. Eh. He was kind of hoping for eggs and bacon, but he’d take it.</p><p>“It does! I’m really excited about this date,” she all but purred, looking like she'd rather eat <em>him</em>.</p><p>Hiding his awkwardness, he took a sip of orange juice and said, “Good, that’s great.”</p><p>“Are you glad I picked you then? I <em> really </em>wanted to get to know you.”</p><p>
  <em> Jesus. Fuck. Ok. </em>
</p><p>“Yeah, I always like getting tae know new people...” he trailed off and gave her a sheepish smile, “But see, the thing is, me and Jess are kind of -”</p><p>She cut him off with a wave of her hand, laughing sweetly, “Oh, I know you’re into Jess. We got to watch a bit of last night before coming in, so I know you kissed and all but… um, I don’t think Jess likes you very much...”</p><p>“What makes yeh say that?” he asked casually, despite the annoyance that was coursing through him.</p><p>She knew nothing about them. It was <em> their </em>relationship. As far as he was concerned, Cherry could go fuck herself.</p><p>“Well, her and Lucas broke up right? So if that hadn’t happened, do you think she’d still like you? She didn’t exactly sound <em> sure </em>when she told you she likes you.”</p><p>Suddenly he realised that Jess hadn’t actually mentioned who broke up with who. He had just <em>assumed</em> she’d been the one, seeing as the idea of someone breaking up with her seemed preposterous to him. But what if Lucas was the one that ended things? That meant if Lucas changed his mind this morning, <em>would</em> Jess take him back?</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck. </em>
</p><p>The stubborn part of him that refused to believe it, or maybe just hoped it wasn’t true, had him saying, “Yeh don’t know what yer talking about.”</p><p>“Don’t I? I heard you say you were really into her, and she said, ‘hmm, maybe’.”</p><p>He took a shaky breath, unable to find it within him to keep his emotions off his face. Because having it pointed out to him like that? It fucking <em>stung</em>. A lot.</p><p>Don’t get him wrong; he’d loved the nervous way she’d said it, it was special to him. But looking from an outsider's perspective, well, it wasn’t exactly a declaration of love.</p><p>It wasn’t exactly all in.</p><p>It was kind of similar to<em> ‘causal’. </em></p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>“Look, I’m sorry if that upsets you. Honestly, I just thought I’d take a chance, because <em> I </em> really like you,” Cherry said quietly, biting her lip in a way he assumed was meant to be seductive.</p><p>Bobby didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know what to feel. He didn’t <em> want </em>Cherry to get in his head, but she already had.</p><p>So, he did what he always did in these situations; he pushed it all down and made light of the situation.</p><p>“Yeh don’t really know me, I could be a massive bore,” he joked.</p><p>“I doubt that!” she giggled sweetly, “But that’s what this date is for right?”</p><p>“Fair enough, so tell me, what do yeh do, Cherry?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>All the girls were currently on the rooftop, watching the dates happening on the lawn below. Jess had no time for that. Obviously. Instead she was in the lounge with the boys, setting up some kind of obstacle course for an apple. Look, she didn’t really know what was happening, she’d just jumped on board, mucking about with the boys as they talked trash and rearranged the furniture. </p><p><em> Anything </em>to distract herself from the fact that Bobby is on a date right now.</p><p>It wasn’t that she was jealous... More that... Well... See... Fuck! Okay, <em>fine</em>, maybe she was. A little.</p><p>Especially after what Lucas said.</p><p>Truthfully, she had no fucking clue if Bobby was still into her or not. It was an unsettling feeling. She’d gone from not giving a fuck about anyone in a really long time, to suddenly caring about Bobby. It made her feel so full of doubt, so insecure. It wasn’t like her.</p><p>It sat on her chest like a tonne of bricks, raising her blood pressure, making it hard to breath.</p><p>
  <em> God, feelings suck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> This is why you said you wouldn’t try anything on this idiotic show! </em>
</p><p>But as much as she wanted to run and hide, wanted to take it all back, she found herself still oddly determined. Still down to at least give this a shot.</p><p>God. All she wanted was for everyone to fuck off so she could <em>talk</em> to Bobby. Oh, and maybe make out a little. Yeah, she definitely wanted to do that. Not that she had a one track mind or anything. Just,<em> fuck, </em>he is so goddamn sexy.</p><p>Seriously, it blew her mind that she hadn’t been in <em> this </em>into him this entire time.</p><p><em> Wait, weren’t you meant to be </em> <b> <em>not </em> </b> <em> thinking about Bobby? </em></p><p>
  <em> Shit. </em>
</p><p>Luckily, just then, she got a better distraction than the boys’ weird game; she got a text. Actually, both her and Lucas did.</p><p>It told them to wait in the lobby as they’d been chosen for the next date. Not the greatest distraction ever, seeing as she had zero interest in the new guy, but hey, it was better than what she was currently doing. </p><p>Making their way to the lobby, Jess couldn’t help but see Bobby and Cherry through the glass doors, him laughing at something, eyes crinkled up in her favourite way.</p><p>A flicker of jealousy ran through her.</p><p>
  <em> Nope, fuck that. </em>
</p><p><em> I am </em> <b> <em>not </em> </b> <em> that girl. </em></p><p>Turning her back to the door, she stood facing Lucas, arms crossed over her chest, hoping that they wouldn’t have to wait too long.</p><p>“How weird is it that we’re both going on a date?” Lucas said, smiling down at her.</p><p>“Two ex’s on a mission to get laid,” she joked, not meaning it at all.</p><p>Unless it was about Bobby…</p><p>
  <em> Stop it, Jess. </em>
</p><p>Lucas let out a chuckle, “Not on the first date.”</p><p>“Bullshit. You totally would have got down in that vineyard if I’d let you.”</p><p>“Yeah, probably,” he shrugged, a familiar smug look on his face.</p><p>Without warning, he took a step towards her, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “I did try <em> several </em>times after that.”</p><p>Feeling super fucking awkward, Jess was just about to take a step back from him when she heard the door open behind her. Turning around, she immediately locked eyes with Bobby as he and Hannah - who had been on a date with Tim - walked in.</p><p>Bobby’s mouth was set into a tight line and she couldn’t read the expression on his face. All she knew was that she didn’t like it at all.</p><p>Before she could say anything, Hannah snipped, “Sucks when your partner is cracking on with someone else huh Bobby?”</p><p>
  <em> What is this? Fucking high school? </em>
</p><p>Bobby's voice was falsely cheerful as he replied, “It’s all good Han, have fun on yer date guys,” then walked straight past her, Hannah following.</p><p>It’s all good? </p><p><em> What’s </em>all good? </p><p>Her cracking on with someone else? </p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>But before she had a chance to ruminate on it further, Lucas grabbed her arm, leading her outside.</p><p>
  <em> Right, I have a date. </em>
</p><p>So Jess did what she does best; pushed it all down, channeled her chill, fun vibe and whacked a blinding smile on her face.</p><p>“Hi Tim!” she smiled as she took a seat opposite him.</p><p>“Jess! It’s so cool to meet you!”</p><p>“You too, you seem like a right laugh.”</p><p>She already quite liked Tim; he’d been in the Villa all of a minute before he’d started cracking the worst jokes in the world and she has a bit of a soft spot for that kind of thing. Plus, he seemed friendly and excited. It made a nice change from the ‘lad’ masculinity that dominated the Villa. Not that she didn’t love all the boys here, Tim just brought a different energy. And he was kind of cute; his baby blue eyes matching his baby-face, soft pink shorts and a full sleeve geometric tattoo. He made an impression, albeit a confusing one.</p><p>“That’s what I do,” he said laughingly, “Make the ladies laugh so hard they eventually just give in.”</p><p>“That can’t be an actual tactic.”</p><p>“Are you saying it’s not working on you?” he asked, quirking his eyebrows.</p><p>Regardless of feeling even more confused about what was going on with her and Bobby, she was only interested in him at this point. Still, she was a little shocked when the words came so bluntly out of her mouth.</p><p>“It’s not, I’m kind of with Bobby.”</p><p>
  <em> Operative word: Kind of. Meaning: I have no fucking clue.</em>
</p><p>Tim genuinely looked stunned by this, “Oh shit, really?”</p><p>“Did you not watch the latest episode?”</p><p>“Nah, skipped through most of them, super boring, got the gist,” Tim shrugged, “Anyway, that’s cool, I invited you because I thought you’re cool, not because I’m interested in you.”</p><p>“Wow. Way to break my heart!”</p><p>“No chance. You’re the heartbreaker, remember?”</p><p>“Oh <em> that </em>you watched?” she scoffed.</p><p>Chuckling, he lowered his voice and looked at her seriously,  “Listen, I need an inside man.”</p><p>Leaning across the table, she put a hand to her mouth and whispered, “For the Villa heist?”</p><p>Tim leant back in his chair, laughing, “Yes Jess, I want to rob every one of their undies.”</p><p>“Christ,” was all she said as he burst out into hysterical laughter.</p><p>It wasn't even that funny. The other boys are going to have a riot with him.</p><p>Gasping for air, he finally calmed down and said, “I meant a wingwoman.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Yup, to help with Hannah.”</p><p>“I’m not exactly friends with Hannah.”</p><p>“Obviously I know that…” he trailed off, biting his lip, “It’s just, we’re so different, and well, our conversation wasn’t exactly flowing earlier. I need you to teach me about books and shit, so I know what she’s talking about.”</p><p>“Wait, you want me to teach you about books? Do you have any idea how many there are Tim?”</p><p>“I dunno, just the main ones then.”</p><p>
  <em> Just the main ones?! Someone, anyone, send help. </em>
</p><p>Holding back her outrage she said, “God Tim. There’s no way I can help you.”</p><p>“You must be able to give me something! Come on, I’m dying out here. I messed up our date and I just want to have a chat with her that isn’t mostly awkward silences.”</p><p>“Yikes. Silences? Really?”</p><p>He nodded solemnly, “Really. It was awful. I started talking and her eyes glazed over. I resorted to rapping, which didn't help.”</p><p>“Wait, wait, rap? That’s good, you could write her some kind of poetry then? She’d love that!”</p><p>“Er…” he shifted in his seat.</p><p>“Oh Jesus,” this time she really did facepalm.</p><p>“See? Plllleeeeaaassseee.”</p><p>Sighing, she jokingly said, “You could have at least buttered me up first before jumping straight in to recruit me for mission impossible.”</p><p>Tim walked around the table, grabbing her hand as he knelt before her, giving her a dead serious look as he started... 'rapping'.</p><p>“Jess, my pretty girl, with skin as soft as pearl,<br/>when I look at you it makes my heart whirl.<br/>Now I need your knowledge, to help me find love,<br/>and you know I need it cuz I didn’t go to college.”</p><p>Jess laughed loudly, throwing her head back, “Oh fuck, that was <em> awful</em>. I can see why you need my help.”</p><p>“It was great,” he pouted.</p><p>“Sure, if your competition was a preschooler.”</p><p>Getting to his feet, he threw his hands in the air, “See why I need your help?!”</p><p>“Fiiinnnee. But, you’ll owe me one, and I’m gonna cash in at any point.”</p><p>
  <em> I’m definitely going to regret this. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Try as he might, Bobby just hadn’t been able to relax for the rest of the day. Mostly because he hadn’t yet had a chance to get Jess alone.</p><p>Though perhaps that might be because he hadn't tried very hard.</p><p>He was nervous to.</p><p>This feeling was foreign to him; insecurity in a relationship. He supposed that was because he didn’t really remember ever liking someone this much before. It was an unfamiliar feeling that he hated. </p><p>He'd tried really hard to hold on to himself, to the guy that felt safe, secure, and, well, really fucking happy to be with Jess. He didn’t <em> want </em>to let things get in his head; Cherry’s words, Lucas standing close to her, the word ‘casual’. But they were. Festering. Like a poisoned wound.</p><p>And really, the only way to stop it was to just ask her where her head was at.</p><p>So, that’s what he was going to do. </p><p>Once he found her anyway. </p><p>To be fair, it wasn't <em>that</em> hard. She was nothing if not predictable; already stationed in the kitchen, ready for the Villa party they were having for the new arrivals. Though, instead of making cocktails like he thought she’d be, she was rifling through the fruit bowl on the counter.</p><p>Even with her back turned to him, the second he laid eyes on her, his breath was stolen from him. Wearing a matching red top and skirt combo that left very little to the imagination - especially <em> his </em>imagination - she looked like something out of a magazine. And he tried, and failed, to not stare at her perfect ass, barely covered by her skirt.</p><p>
  <em> Christ. </em>
</p><p>Had a girl, with legs like <em> that</em>, really said she sorta liked him last night? </p><p>God, he just wanted to go over, hoist her onto the bench and have her wrap those legs around him. He wanted to make her moan. Scream his name.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No, no, you’re not doing that. </em>
</p><p>Aside from the fact that they had things to talk about, he was <em> trying </em> to go slow when it came to having sex with her. He didn't want to be friends-who-fuck-sometimes. But <em> shit</em>, why did she have to make it so hard? Literally. He was going to put her in a potato sack one of these days, just so he could get a goddamn break.</p><p>Eh, she’d probably rock that too. He might need to think this plan through further.</p><p>Walking up to the counter, he smiled to himself as he waited for her to turn around. She <em> always </em>did this; spent fucking ages deciding what fruit she wanted, always ending up picking out a banana. Every fucking time. And trust him when he says she had a weird way of eating them too, just like she did with chips. </p><p>Why did it endear her more to him? Scientists would be working it out for years.</p><p>Not able to wait anymore, he spoke up, “Going bananas on the fruit again Jess?”</p><p>
  <em> Great opener Bobby. Truly one of your best. Jesus. </em>
</p><p>Jess turned and smiled warmly at him, his heart stuttering as he realised she was wearing bright red lipstick. <em> Christ</em>. He wanted to smudge it up for her. With his lips. Or maybe even his cock.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Come on man. </em>
</p><p>“Hey Bee,” she said cheerfully before she turned back around to the fruit bowl, “You want anything?”</p><p>“Nae, I’m good. Yeh want a banana though.”</p><p>She scoffed, “I don’t always pick that.”</p><p>“Yeh do, just save us both some time here.”</p><p>Jess made a little annoyed growl in her throat, muttering an affectionate, “Prick,” under her breath which made him chuckle.</p><p>
  <em> God I like her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I really fucking hope she still wants to try. </em>
</p><p>After what seriously felt like years, she turned back around, banana in hand, glare on her face as she said in a warning tone, “Don’t you dare say anything McKenzie.”</p><p>Quickly pretending to zip his lips, he stood there silently. <em> But </em> he didn’t drop the winning grin that was plastered on his face and was intensely satisfied when she gave him his favourite annoyed face.</p><p>Huffing, she walked over to lean on the other side of the bench from him. Putting both elbows up on the counter, she peeled the banana and then used a paring knife to slowly cut small slices off and immediately popping them into her mouth, using the knife as a spoon of sorts. As he said; weird.</p><p>He didn’t say anything for a minute, instead just watching her and seriously questioning his mental stability in liking someone who does that. At liking her <em> because </em>she did that. </p><p>Eventually she looked up, a small smirk on her face, “What?”</p><p>“Why don’t yeh just eat it like a normal person?” </p><p>
  <em> Fuck.  </em>
</p><p>He knew he made a mistake the second he said it. It was the exact same reason he’d never asked her before. He <em> knew </em>Jess. He knew what was coming.</p><p>She raised her eyebrows at him, a playful look in her eyes, her voice husky, “Oh, like this you mean?”</p><p>Eyes locked with his, she slid her mouth slowly down around the length of the banana and he was barely able to stop himself from groaning out loud. He could only stare at her lips, wishing they were wrapped around him instead. None of this was helped by the memory of what it had felt like when she’d put his fingers in her mouth during that stupid beer pong game. He could <em> very vividly </em>imagine what having her on her knees in front of him would feel like and he had to grip onto the edge of the counter so he wouldn’t walk around it and drag her off somewhere.</p><p>
  <em> Shit, shit, shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Think of something else. Come on, anything else. </em>
</p><p>But he couldn’t. His mind had gone blank. No other thoughts apart from really inappropriate ones.</p><p>Pulling most of the banana back out of her mouth, Jess took a small bite, chewing on it quietly as she continued staring at him, a knowing smile on her lips.</p><p>And he just stared back at her like an idiot.</p><p>Tilting her head, she whispered in a tone that was far too sultry to keep his mind out of the gutter, “What are you thinking about right now Bobby?”</p><p>“I think yeh knae the answer tae that,” he choked out, his voice a little shaky and rough.</p><p>“But I want you to <em> say </em>it.”</p><p><em> God. </em> </p><p>He <em> really </em>wanted to tell her exactly what he was fantasising about right now. Better yet, maybe actually play it out.</p><p>Unfortunately, <em> somehow </em>a small voice in the back of his head finally screamed loud enough that he could hear it over his desire and told him he wasn’t supposed to be doing this.</p><p>
  <em> But, but… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No. Stop it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Those lips though... </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Cut it out, you idiot. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Shit. Okay. Fine.</em>
</p><p>It was a long, fierce battle in his mind but he really did need to talk to her. He wasn’t <em> supposed </em>to be making this all about sex. Goddamn it.</p><p>Clearing his throat, and mind, he gave her a serious look, “I came here tae chat.”</p><p>An extremely smug smile made its way across Jess’s face as she cheerfully said, “I was wondering who was going to win.”</p><p>He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, not sure what she was talking about.</p><p>“Your dick or your brain,” she clarified with a smirk.</p><p>Usually, he might have been embarrassed, but there was something about Jess that made him feel… Reckless. Bold. Like he <em> shouldn’t </em>be apologetic.</p><p>So, he smirked at her, “As if yeh weren’t thinking about having my dick in yer mouth too.”</p><p>He instantly regretted saying it when not only did his mind restart the fantasy that plagued him just seconds ago, but her face shifted in a way that almost crumbled his reserve. Her lips parted, a light blush swept across her cheeks, chest moving up and down at a quicker pace, like her heart was racing, and eyes dilating to the point where he could no longer see any blue.</p><p>She was turned on. By him. And he hadn’t even touched her. Wasn’t even near her.</p><p>
  <em> Holy crap. </em>
</p><p>He couldn’t lie, it felt amazing to know he could affect her like this.</p><p>He gripped the countertop even harder, his knuckles going white as he strained to keep it together, but <em> fuck </em>it was getting more and more difficult. His blood pounded in his ears as desperate want surged through him, almost making him twitch at the urge to have her. </p><p>A long silence stretched out between them, neither of them moving or saying anything, just staring at each other as though they were both trying their hardest not to do what they really wanted to do.</p><p>Every second that ticked by was a second Bobby’s self-control slipped just a little bit more. He wanted to know if she’d let him kiss her. If she’d let him drag her off. If she’s let him slide her clothes off her body. If she’d -</p><p>“Hey you two!”</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Releasing a shaky breath he hadn’t realised he'd been holding, he turned to see Cherry strolling over and he almost groaned at the interruption.</p><p>He managed to force out a smile for her as she stood right next to him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.</p><p>“Hey,” he muttered, subtly leaning back a little so her hand slid off him. </p><p>Luckily, she didn’t seem to notice as she beamed at him “Do you want to go have a chat?”</p><p>
  <em> Um, no. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> If the options are to talk to you or stand here and continue silently staring at Jess, she wins. Every time. </em>
</p><p>Instinctively he turned to look at Jess, who, to his great disappointment, was staring at the banana that was still in her hand, slicing off a piece and putting it in her mouth. Like everything was totally fine.</p><p>“Oh, right!” Cherry said with a giggle, “Jess?”</p><p>“Huh?” she said, looking up, eyebrows knitted in confusion as she looked at Cherry. </p><p>He felt a bit of relief that her cheeks were still flushed, though that was the only sign that he hadn’t imagined their moment earlier.</p><p>“Do you mind if I steal Bobby away?”</p><p>Secretly he wanted Jess to say no or, at the very least, show some sign she wasn’t happy with this. Some sign that she liked him as much as she clearly wanted him. Some sign that she didn’t want him to go off with her because maybe she didn’t want to go off with anyone else either.</p><p>But, she didn’t.</p><p>Instead, she smiled warmly at Cherry as though nothing was wrong, like they weren’t seconds away from tearing each other’s clothes off, like she didn’t fucking care.</p><p>“Of course not.”</p><p>“Great!” Cherry said, looking at him expectantly.</p><p>Clearing his throat he nodded at her, glad his voice came out relaxed as he said, “Sure, I’ll meet yeh on the daybeds in a minute?”</p><p>He struggled not to push her away from him as she leant over to kiss his cheek before turning around and skipping off.</p><p>Bobby watched her leave, not because he was ogling her, but because he needed a moment before he looked back at Jess. It felt like Jess was already slipping from his grasp and he had no idea how the fuck any of this had happened.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, he released his hands from the counter, shaking them out a little as the blood rushed back to his fingers.</p><p>He turned back to Jess, finding her attention once again focused on the stupid fucking banana. Irritation shot through him and made his words come out a little gruffer than he intended.</p><p>“So yer just cool with me getting to know Cherry?”</p><p>She looked up at him, her face unreadable as she shrugged, “If that’s what you want to do.”</p><p>“What if I said I’m keeping my options open?” he pushed, trying to get <em> any </em> reaction from her, <em> any </em> sign, <em> anything</em>.</p><p>It didn’t work; her face didn’t change.</p><p>“I mean, it <em>is </em>Love Island, so it’s expected.”</p><p>His jaw tightened. How could she be so cavalier about this? She really didn’t care? She was not jealous in the fucking slightest? Not at all concerned that his head could be turned?</p><p>Well, it <em> couldn’t </em>at this point. But that’s not the fucking point. </p><p>The point is that if she didn’t care about his head being turned, it meant hers <em> could</em>.</p><p>And that pissed him off.</p><p>He knew <em>exactly</em> who could turn her head and he resented the very idea. Resented the fact that he'd be left in the exact same position he was in yesterday; longing for someone who didn’t feel the same.</p><p>Before he could stop them, the words were out of his mouth, “What if I kissed her?”</p><p>Jess broke eye contact with him, walking over and tossing the rest of that stupid fucking fruit in the bin and throwing her knife in the dishwasher. Once she was done, she laid her palms flat on the counter and looked him in the eye as anger suddenly poured off her in waves, her eyes almost burning him with the intensity in them.</p><p>In a low voice she said, “Bobby, if you want to kiss Cherry, fucking go ahead and kiss her, you don’t need my <em> permission</em>.”</p><p>Then, without waiting for him to respond, she turned around and walked away from him.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Jess was totally chill. Everything was great. Perfect even.</p><p>It’s fine that Bobby wants to get to know Cherry. It’s great that he wants to keep his fucking stupid dumbass options open. It’s cool if Cherry had pulled him for a chat and they’d been chatting and laughing on the daybeds for fucking <em> hours</em>.</p><p>Totally, 100%, absolutely, without a doubt, A-OK with her.</p><p>She certainly wasn’t fucking furious about it. Nope. Not at all.</p><p><em> Definitely </em>not upset. No way.</p><p>Shit. Well, <em> maybe </em>a little bit.</p><p>Ok, ok, it stung. </p><p>Kind of a lot.</p><p>Did she just image the moment they’d had? Did she dream up the look in his eye that told her he wanted to rip her clothes off? </p><p>She <em>must</em> have. She certainly did <em> not </em>imagine the way Bobby visibly relaxed at Cherry’s touch or the way he watched her walk away. He clearly had something with her.</p><p>Jess was doing her best to ignore the crushing feeling in her chest and just keep going; keep smiling as though she weren’t dying a little on the inside.</p><p>And so far tonight she’d been pretty successful.</p><p>She made the rounds with mostly everyone, happily chit-chatting away. It hadn’t been her <em> worst </em>night in the Villa, so, there’s that. Still, it was fairly uneventful and kind of boring. Unless you count that awkward as fuck moment when she’d walked in on Lottie kissing Henrik in the bedroom.</p><p>The less said about that, the better.</p><p>Jess had just finished chatting with Hannah about Tim when she realised the party was starting to wind down, most of the Islanders having gone inside. Well, except Cherry and Bobby who were still on the daybeds, so, that was great.</p><p>She was about to head in when she spotted Gary sitting by himself at the firepit, looking rather forlorn, and she realised she actually hadn’t seen much of him at all tonight. And, honestly, the look on his face tonight matched exactly how she felt inside. It was the look of someone who knows the person they like is hooking up with someone else. </p><p>They were kindred spirits.</p><p>Despite Jess usually running a fucking mile from any relationship chat, she’d make an exception for Gaz. He always had a soft spot in her heart.</p><p>Armed with two bottles of red wine, she headed to the firepit, silently taking a seat next to him, handing him a bottle.</p><p>Grunting what she can only assume was meant to be his thanks, he cracked his open and took a sip before turning and regarding her for a moment.</p><p>“Who kicked your puppy then?”</p><p>She couldn’t help but laugh a little, “Who kicked yours?”</p><p>“Nah, I asked you first.”</p><p>Against her better judgement she found her eyes drifting off to where the cause of her internal drama was currently laughing loudly and she couldn’t stop the grimace that pulled at her face.</p><p>She hated every fucking second of this.</p><p>She also hated every second of finding out that apparently Gary wasn’t as oblivious as she’d always assumed he was, grimacing as he twisted his head in the direction she was looking.</p><p>“Bobby and Cherry?” he asked, his tone surprised, “Huh. I didn’t expect that. So you like him then?”</p><p>Taking a few large gulps of wine she heard herself say, “Yeah.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh shit, you’re just admitting it to people now. Okay then. </em>
</p><p>A look of shock played on Gary's face as he studied her for a moment, then he broke out into a grin, “He’ll be made up about that! You should tell him.”</p><p>“He already knows,” she muttered bitterly.</p><p>The smile dropped from Gary’s face and he swung his head to look at the pair on the daybeds again, “Shit.”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>“Nah, no way. I don’t know what he’s playing at but he’d pick you over her for sure. Go break that shit up.”</p><p>“He likes her Gary,” her voice wavering as she said it, “He said he’s keeping his options open.”</p><p>It was a fucking hard hearing herself say those words aloud. It stung just as much as when he’d said them to her.</p><p>The irony of the fact that she was too scared to start something with him and now she’s upset that he might not want to start something with her, isn’t lost on her. Jess is very much aware of how fucked this whole thing is.</p><p>“Oh fuck, I’m sorry,” Gary murmured.</p><p>“It’s fine, I’m fine.”</p><p>Not really, but what could she do? </p><p>They fell into silence for a moment, both just sipping their wine and letting themselves sink into the feeling of shared sympathy.</p><p>Trying to snap herself out of it, she asked, “Your turn. Why are you not speaking to Lottie?”</p><p>“What’s there to say?” he mumbled.</p><p>“Um, that you like her?”</p><p>“I’m trying to give her space to figure this thing out with Henrik.”</p><p>“No, what you’re doing is telling her you don’t like her.”</p><p>Gary groaned, “Ok, but what if I tell her and she chooses Henrik anyway? I’m gonna look like a mug.”</p><p>“Yeah, it could go that way…” she said slowly.</p><p>“Thanks Jess,” he said with a sarcastic laugh.</p><p>“Nah Gaz, you need to stop worrying about what’s going to happen in the future and just live in the moment, try to just enjoy whatever time you have with her. Try to convince her that you’re the one she wants. If it doesn’t work out, at least you can’t say you didn’t try. You won’t have regrets.”</p><p>Frowning, Gary looked out across the Villa, deep in thought.</p><p>Meanwhile Jess got a little - ok, a lot - distracted as she noticed Bobby and Cherry now walking inside together and she tried not to wince or wonder what they would get up to if they found somewhere quiet inside. Because she already knew. Bobby would be kissing her. She tried to take a calming breath and push it out of her mind, but it refused to budge. Just as her heart rate refused to slow and her hands refused to stop shaking.</p><p>
  <em> Oh god. This is the worst. </em>
</p><p>Gary cleared his throat, breaking her out of her mini panic attack, “Is that what you’re doing with Bobby?”</p><p>“I…” she faltered, not really sure what to say.</p><p>
  <em> Crap. </em>
</p><p>“Touché sir,” she said with a laugh, clinking her bottle with his.</p><p>She’d been so busy putting walls between her and Bobby that she hadn’t realised she actually hadn’t shown him that she still wanted him. </p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Gary is fucking right.</em>
</p><p>What was it she always said around here? The risk is worth the reward.</p><p>
  <em> Wow, I’m so full of shit sometimes. </em>
</p><p>But ok, she had a new game plan. Step one, get the fuck out of her own head. Step two, remind Bobby of why he wanted to see where things go between them earlier this morning.</p><p>And hey, if that plan meant she got to snog him again, so be it. It’s not as if that isn’t all she’d been able to think about all day anyway. She felt butterflies in her tummy just thinking about it again. About him. About his hands, and his lips, and his cute freckled face.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It had been a fucking awful night. One of those nights when you find yourself wishing you’d just gone to bed.</p><p>
  <em> I’m keeping my options open. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>What if I kissed her? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You fucking idiot! </em>
</p><p>He’d been replaying his words over and over again in his head. And each time he got closer and closer to smacking himself.</p><p>It wasn’t really a surprise that she hadn’t come to see him at all tonight. He’d basically told her he wanted to be with someone else.</p><p>He'd fucked it all up and instead of spending the night with the girl he wanted to spend it with, he got to hang out with Cherry. </p><p>And <em> god</em>, he’d tried to escape her sooo many times. She just kept talking and talking and <em> talking, </em>and he really hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise. Despite all the words she’d spoken, he literally knew nothing more about her. She didn’t speak about anything with depth and was just, well, boring.</p><p>And, to be fair, he’d not really been paying too much attention either.</p><p>Especially when he’d catch Jess walking past in that stupidly skimpy outfit that was still driving him wild. The image of her red lips burnt into his brain, torturing him.</p><p>But, more than just wanting her, he desperately wanted to talk to <em> her</em>. To hear her crack one of her lame jokes, to hear her sass him, to have her banter effortlessly with him in the quick witted way she did. He wanted the depth and intelligence she exuded, hell, he’d even take her insulting him.</p><p>But he was being a fucking pussy right now.</p><p>After everyone had gone inside, he’d gotten changed into his pajamas and went into the kitchen under the cleverly constructed ruse of making a toastie.</p><p>He was hungry.</p><p>That and he <em> might </em>also be avoiding her. Or rather, delaying the inevitable awkwardness that would be sharing a bed with her tonight.</p><p>He really wanted to cuddle with her again but there was a fat chance in hell of that happening now.</p><p>
  <em> Why did you have to say something so stupid?! </em>
</p><p>Bobby was so busy in his own thoughts that he jumped a little when he heard a familiar voice behind him. A voice that made his heart race.</p><p>“Bee, it’s only been a day and you’re already making me toasties huh? A girl could get used to this.”</p><p>Turning around, he found Jess casually leaning against the edge of the counter, a small smirk on her face. </p><p>Yeah, he was a <em> little </em>disappointed that she’d also changed into her pyjamas but, let’s be honest, they were the same ones that tortured him every night so far and now he knew what they felt like under his hands, so… he was cool with it.</p><p>More than.</p><p>She was fucking stunning.</p><p>As if he’d ever think she wasn’t. He was a melt for her after all. He’d accepted his fate. Mostly.</p><p>Rolling his eyes, he pretended to be annoyed, a little surprised that despite feeling unsure around her, he found it easy to slip into their casual banter, so easy to just be himself around her. No one had ever made him feel this comfortable before. It might be his new favourite thing about being around her; that it was so natural.</p><p>“It’s only been a day and yer already <em> demanding </em> a toastie huh? A girl <em> shouldn’t </em> get too used to this.”</p><p>When she raised her eyebrow, just looking expectantly at him, he sighed loudly, “Fiiinnee, but yer going to have to help. Slice the tomatoes.” </p><p>Look, he was a pathetic puppy most of the time, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying annoying her, and he loved every moment of the petulant groan she let out as he slid the chopping board closer to her with a tomato and knife already on it.</p><p>“The service around here is fucking awful,” she said as she walked over to stand next to him.</p><p>He tried really hard to concentrate on buttering more bread and grating the cheese, but she was stood so close he could feel the warmth radiating off her skin and it was super fucking distracting. Especially when her shoulder occasionally brushed against him, seemingly innocently.</p><p>They both worked in comfortable silence, putting together the sandwiches and getting them set up in the press.</p><p>Now, with nothing to pretend to be focused on, he turned to her, his breath catching in his throat as she stared back at him. She was leaning back against the counter, her eyes boring deep into his, an affectionate smile on her lips.</p><p>The longer they stood there staring at each other, the more he wanted to kiss her and his eyes involuntarily flicked down to look at her perfect lips, now free of that red lipstick but still beautiful and enchanting.</p><p>By the time he looked back at her eyes, they’d shifted. No longer bright sparkling blue, now a deep dark intense stare that he recognised.</p><p>Holy shit. She was thinking about kissing him too.</p><p>Maybe he hadn't fucked this up after all? Would she let him if he tried?</p><p>Oh, he was going to try.</p><p>Taking a step closer, he said in a far huskier voice than he’d intended, “Stop looking at me like that Lass.”</p><p>“Like what?” she asked in an amused tone.</p><p>He took another step closer to her, “Like yer maybe, sort of, kind of, <em> definitely </em>thinking about kissing me.”</p><p>“Piss off,” she breathed out, watching is every movement, “How would <em> you </em>even know?”</p><p>Another step, now close enough that he could feel her warmth again, almost touching her. He watched as she swallowed, gulped actually, and pressed her palms flat against the cabinets behind her. He wondered if it was because, like he was with her, she was struggling to not reach out and touch him.</p><p><em> God </em>he wanted to close the distance between them. But honestly, the teasing was so much fun. He let his desire for her build up inside him, making it feel like his veins were on fire. He savoured the feeling, reveled in it.</p><p>Lowering his voice to a whisper, like he had a secret to share, he said, “Because yeh look exactly the same as yeh did last night. And yeh <em> really </em> wanted to kiss me then. <em> I </em>don’t think yeh wanted to stop either.”</p><p>Her eyes widened slightly and she tilted her head to the side, as if studying him, “Cocky little shit aren’t you?”</p><p>A bark of laughter escaped him and he put his hands on either side of her on the bench, his hands twitching with the urge to grab hold of her.</p><p>“You know,” he said softly, “I’m actually really grateful that Lottie coupled us up…”</p><p>He paused for a moment and a feeling of happiness made his heart jump when she rolled her eyes at him. She knew he was about to make a joke, of course she did, because she <em> got </em>him. He’s never felt so understood by anyone before.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck! I like her so fucking much. </em>
</p><p>“I can’t wait tae see what insults ye’ll be serving me every day fer the rest of our time in the Villa.”</p><p>Every day? Rest of our time here? Christ. He hadn’t meant to say <em> that</em>.</p><p>Jess raised her hands to rest on his chest, her touch tingling his skin and making his breath come out ragged. Crap. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand not kissing her, let alone following along with this stupid conversation. The tension wasn’t just in the air around them, it was in his fucking bones. He felt it in his entire being.</p><p>“Bold of you to assume that I want to couple up with you again,” she whispered, her breath catching on her words in a way that was so sexy he almost groaned.</p><p>Bringing his face closer to hers, he smiled, “Bold of <em> yeh </em>tae assume I wouldn’t do anything tae make that happen.”</p><p>She broke eye contact, moving her face so she could whisper in his ear, the feeling of her breath blowing against him almost made his knees give out, “Anything?”</p><p>Not able to take another moment not touching her, he lifted his hands to her waist, stepping forward so she was pressed flush against him; sandwiched between him and the bench. Everywhere they touched sent spirals of lust shooting through him and it made his brain feel foggy.</p><p>“Anything,” he croaked out.</p><p>And then she pressed her lips to his jaw by his ear and he couldn’t hold back a grunt, his fingers tightening, trying to pull her closer.</p><p>He felt her smile against his jaw as she murmured, “Great, you’ll be chopping the tomatoes from now on then.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck.</em>
</p><p>He was so fucking turned on by her lips on his skin, by the teasing, by her fucking cleaverness; he couldn’t even <em> try </em>to think of something to say.</p><p>And then she pressed another kiss to his jaw, then another, trailing gentle kisses across his skin that made him shut his eyes and groan. Every touch of her lips drove him closer and closer to madness, pushed him closer to the edge, inspired him to jump.</p><p>Her nails dug into his skin as she ran them down his biceps and back up again, causing goosebumps to prick his skin.</p><p>“Jess,” he said in a raspy tone, not sure what he was trying to say. Not really sure of anything.</p><p>Was it really only twenty minutes ago he thought he’d never be here with her again? That he thought he’d ruined everything? And now she was humming against the skin of his neck as she continued her tortuous kisses to his collarbone and flicking her tongue out as she sucked on his pulse point.</p><p>“Let me kiss yeh,” he moaned, a little embarrassed by the neediness in his voice.</p><p>But christ, he couldn’t help it. He wanted her so fucking badly. He needed her. Needed everything she would let him take.</p><p>She kissed her way slowly back to his jaw before pulling back slightly, stunning him for a moment by the desire he saw in her eyes.</p><p>“I’d let you do anything you want Bobby,” she whispered brokenly.</p><p><em> God</em>. The way she said his name sent shivers down his spine and made his already hard cock twitch. </p><p>“Fuck,” he grunted.</p><p>When he finally pressed his lips to hers it was like the first time all over again; this feeling of something new and special and extremely rare. Kissing her felt like he was suddenly at sea, no clue which way to shore, and at the same time, like she was his only lifeline, guiding him home.</p><p>All the wanting and desire from throughout the day pooled in his chest and exploded. He was fucking desperate for her and it seemed like she was as desperate for him; clutching his shoulders, trying to drag him closer and closer, seemingly not interested in having any space between them at all. With a deep moan, she opened her mouth for him and he happily took the invitation, sliding his tongue along hers as lights dotted the inside of his eyelids.</p><p>He ran his hand up her back, tangling it in her hair at the base of her neck, holding her head still so he could kiss her deeper. She was letting him take the lead and god was it fucking hot; kissing her however he wanted to and having her squirming against him. Unable to resist, he tugged her hair lightly and she whimpered into his mouth, the sound almost making him dizzy, so he did it again.</p><p>Breaking the kiss, he pulled her head back gently, exposing her neck so he could press hot, lingering kisses along it, occasionally nibbling at her skin then flicking his tongue out and drawing little circles. </p><p>“Oh fuck Bobby, please,” she said on a moan, arching her back and pressing her chest harder into his. Letting out these breathy gasps, she slid her fingers between his dreads and twisted them in her grip, sending sharp jolts of pleasure shattering through him.</p><p>
  <em> God yes. </em>
</p><p>The hand not still in her hair followed the curve of her spine up from her waist, under her top, and he smiled as he felt her skin prickling in response. Oh god, he wanted to touch her everywhere, in every way. He wanted to know exactly what made her hair stand on end, what made her gasp, what made her shake.</p><p>Wait, he shouldn’t.</p><p>Oh fuck, but he wanted to.</p><p>Fuck it. He dropped his hand, smoothing it over the curve of her ass and using it to lift her hips up against his. She wiggled her hips lightly, causing enough friction that he had to squeeze his eyes shut as urgent want shot through him, crashing over him in waves, making him feel like he was drowning in it. All while he battled with himself not to kick open her legs or wrap her legs around him so he could thrust himself against her. </p><p>
  <em> Ping. </em>
</p><p>He was so in the fucking moment that he barely heard it; the sound barely registering in the back of his mind as something he should pay attention to. He thought the same was true for Jess until she tugged his hair slightly harder to get his attention, and he couldn’t help the groan that left him as he realised she was trying to stop them. He didn’t want to stop. Ever. So he just continued kissing her neck, hoping she wouldn’t make him.</p><p>She murmured almost incoherently, “Bee, the - ah shit - toastie - fuck.”</p><p>
  <em> Fuck the stupid toastie. </em>
</p><p>“Ignore it,” he growled, his voice muffled against her skin.</p><p>Jess let out a little giggle as she pulled his hair more insistently, bringing his head up to look at her. Her eyes were filled with heat but glazed over as though her head was as foggy as his, her lips swollen and slightly ajar as she panted short breaths that feathered his lips. </p><p>“Christ yer so fucking gorgeous,” he choked out, getting a little lost just looking at her. He also couldn’t stop picturing what she’d look like as she came. He wanted to find out. Right now.</p><p>
  <em> Seriously, fuck the toastie. </em>
</p><p>He lowered his head to kiss her again but she put her hands on his shoulders, preventing him from moving forward, and he let out an annoyed moan and pouted at her. Though, he did find immense satisfaction as he watched her battle to keep her eyes on his and not let them flick down to his lips.</p><p>With a hard swallow, she finally spoke, “We c-can’t burn it. I had to… to slave away f-for it.” </p><p>If he didn’t have such a one track mind right now, he might have laughed at the way she stumbled over her words, her voice catching in her throat. She sounded exactly how he felt; frustrated, turned on and dazed. At least he wasn’t the only one.</p><p>Grunting in reluctant agreement, he pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he smoothed his hand back up to her waist, enjoying the mingling sounds of their breath as they both struggled to catch it. </p><p>
  <em> Christ. I would give her anything. </em>
</p><p>She slipped out of his arms and he begrudgingly let her go, bitterly watching her walk towards the stupid toastie machine. Slumping dramatically onto the counter, he muttered under his breath, “Fucking cockblocked by a toaster.”</p><p>Jess, who had reached the press, looked back at him with a frown. </p><p>Oh <em> shit</em>, he hadn’t meant for her to hear that. He hadn't even meant to <em>say</em> it.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, fuck, fuck. </em>
</p><p>“Cockblocked? That’s <em> fucking </em> presumptuous.”</p><p>Mouth opening and closing, he just stared at her, unsure how to backtrack out of this one.</p><p>“Haven’t you heard Bee? I’m a high-class woman.”</p><p>He couldn't help but chuckle as he pushed himself off the counter, “Bullshit.”</p><p>“Rude,” she glared at him playfully.</p><p>Quietly he watched her serve up the toasties, sliding a plate across the bench towards him. He took a bite, trying to get his heart rate back in check. Which was <em> mostly </em>successful until she took a bite of hers and he could do nothing but stare as she threw her head back and let out a seductive moan. </p><p>Fuck. Goddamn it. Why did she have to be so fucking sexy?</p><p>A knowing smirk played on her face as she said, “Mmm, so worth it.”</p><p>“Yer a shit.”</p><p>“Fun though, innit?”</p><p>“Aye Lass, yer loads of fun,” he loathly admitted, thinking it would be far more fun to have allowed the toastie to burn to ash.</p><p>They ate in silence, standing side by side, leaning over the counter. He had to admit the toastie was pretty good. Even if he resented it just a little. </p><p>But he supposed he <em> should </em>be grateful for the interruption; he’d gotten a bit carried away for a moment and was now unsure if he would have stopped them at all.</p><p>Which, for the record, he wanted to do. Probably <em> would </em>have done. Maybe. Hopefully. Because he definitely didn’t want to fuck her when they still hadn’t talked about anything important. Like what she’d meant by ‘casual’.</p><p>Jess broke the silence, quietly announcing, “Alright Bobby, you can make me toasties every night from now on.”</p><p>He couldn’t help but chuckle, “I swear Jess, I’m not going tae pick yeh at the next recoupling.”</p><p>“Is that a promise?” she asked, grinning at him.</p><p>“No,” he grumbled, taking another bite and ignoring how her grin spread wider across her face.</p><p>He really shouldn’t enjoy her company as much as he did. But he couldn't help it.</p><p>She made him stupidly happy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. I'm regretting this already</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I was gonna write y'all a proper summary but the only part of this chapter I give a fuck about is where we get to see someone naked. Literally all I've wanted since day one. Place your bets now on who it is. My money is on one of the producers.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bobby woke up in another fantastic mood. Honestly, why wouldn't he? He was coupled up with Jess.</p><p>This morning, Lottie had dragged her out of bed before everyone else had woken up. At least he was <em> pretty sure </em> that’s what happened.</p><p>The only thing he really remembered was that she’d placed a lingering kiss on his cheek before she left; it was burnt in his memory, and on his skin. It was the kind of moment he <em> craved </em> with her; sweet and indulgent, the kind that you had when you cared about someone deeply. At the time it had made butterflies burst in his chest, hell, just <em> thinking </em>about it made them start back up again.</p><p>God. He was a fucking melt for her. And he both loved and hated it.</p><p>Loved it because she was the one he wanted.</p><p>Hated it because he still didn’t know if she wanted him too.</p><p>Well, that’s not true. She <em> wanted </em> him; that much was clear. But he needed to know if she wanted to be more than friends who snog.</p><p>And he also knew that he probably wouldn’t get the answer anytime soon. Jess was not going to fall at his feet and declare her love for him. She was fucking terrified of it. He’d <em> have </em> to play the slow game here, <em> have </em> to take his time, <em> have </em>to convince her to want more.</p><p>Last night was not his greatest example of doing that, but hey, it was a new day, new mission.</p><p>Having finished getting ready, Bobby was sitting on a bench seat in the dressing room, listening to Noah grumble to Gary about Hope. <em> Again</em>. Seriously, that guy really needed to stop complaining to everyone else and start talking with his partner about his concerns.</p><p>“At least you know she wants you though,” Gary said bitterly just as Noah finished his third monologue of the morning.</p><p>“Nah Gaz, Loz wants yeh, she just thinks yeh dinnae want her,” Bobby told him.</p><p>Gary looked at him, a frown on his face. “Yeah... that’s basically what Jess said too.”</p><p>“Aye?” he asked, trying not to let on just how much more interested he was in this conversation now Jess was part of it.</p><p>Clearly he'd done a terrible job because Gary smirked and said, “Speaking of Jess, how are things there?”</p><p>Before he could say anything, Noah jumped in, “Must suck being in a friendship couple. Especially with <em> her</em>.”</p><p>Bobby paused, suddenly not sure just how much of their relationship he wanted to reveal. So far they’d hooked up twice and had zero meaningful conversations. That didn't qualify them as being <em>out</em> of friendship couple territory.</p><p>So, he deflected, “I dunno how Rocco did it.”</p><p>Noah chuckled in agreement while Gary raised a disbelieving eyebrow. </p><p>Just then, Lucas walked in the room, nodding absentmindedly at them as he walked to his closet.</p><p>“Lucas,” Noah called, “We were just talking about Jess. Are you guys still a thing?”</p><p>Bobby’s jaw clenched involuntarily, tension knotting cords into his back and shoulders.</p><p>As much as he wanted to know the answer to that question, he definitely didn’t want to hear it from fucking Lucas.</p><p>And of course, like the prick he was, Lucas looked directly at Bobby as he said, “Neither of us can wait till we’re coupled up again.”</p><p>Bobby struggled to keep a straight face as all his insecurities from yesterday came crashing down on him, almost winding him.</p><p>
  <em> What? Is that something Jess had actually said? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No fucking way. Not after the way she’d kissed me last night. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No chance. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Right? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Maybe? </em>
</p><p>Without conscious thought, he got to his feet, fists clenched at his sides as he returned Lucas’s cocky grin with one of his own. Gary took a step next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he whispered, “He’s just trying to wind you up.”</p><p>Giving the two of them a confused look, Noah turned back to Lucas, “Why don’t you sleep on the daybeds then?”</p><p>“Actually Noah,” Lucas drawled, still not breaking eye contact with Bobby, “That’s a great idea, I can’t seem to keep her off me.”</p><p>“Lucas,” Gary warned.</p><p>The prick's smile spread wider across his face. “I’m guessing you don’t know what I’m talking about though Bobby? <em> You </em>haven’t fucked her yet.”</p><p>“Piss off mate,” he snapped, not interested in having a conversation about Jess and sex. Especially not with him.</p><p>“Oof,” Lucas said in mock sympathy, “That’s a no. Not a good sign; she’s the kind of girl who’d be up for it with <em> anyone</em>.”</p><p>Even though he <em>knew</em> Lucas was pushing him on purpose, he couldn’t help but respond, irritation pouring through his veins like scolding lava, “It’s nae all about sex but if that’s all yeh had with her, it’s no wonder yeh broke up.”</p><p>“What? They didn't break up...” Noah muttered, confused expression on his face.</p><p>Letting out a harsh laugh, Lucas said, “I’m just fucking with you, Bobby, I know you two are<em> just friends</em>, she told me so herself. At least that’s what I <em> think </em>she said. It was hard to hear her when she was busy choking on my dick this morning.”</p><p>Rage clouded his vision and before he knew it, he had crossed the room and slammed Lucas into the wall, forearm pressed against his collarbone hard enough that Lucas couldn't move. </p><p>Lucas gripped his arm, aggressive scowl on his face as he tried to dislodge Bobby's forearm. Unsuccessfully. At the same time, Gary was tugging on Bobby’s shoulder, telling him to calm the fuck down but Bobby was far to gone to listen or care.</p><p>He'd reached his fucking limit.</p><p>Getting right in Lucas’s face, he growled, “I’m nae fucking around here. Yer going tae start talking about Jess with respect, or I will nae hesitate tae shut yeh up. Understand?”</p><p>“Fuck you, get -”</p><p>Bobby pressed his forearm in harder, cutting him off. “Do yeh understand?”</p><p>Lucas stared at him for a long moment, fury burning in his gaze as Bobby stared straight back at him, daring Lucas to fuck with him one more time. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this, but he was done with Lucas being an asshole to Jess and getting away with it. The wanker got free pass after free pass, not just from everyone else, but from her too. He wasn’t putting up with this shit anymore.</p><p>With another death glare, Lucas hissed, “Yes.”</p><p>“Good. Not one disrespectful word about her.”</p><p>Releasing Lucas, Bobby took a step back and Gary immediately stood in between the two of them, looking at Bobby and gesturing angrily towards the door.</p><p>
  <em> Oh sure, because I really wanted to stay. </em>
</p><p>Rolling his eyes, he strode out of the room, ignoring whatever idiotic jeer Lucas tried to make.</p><p>Fuck that guy was a dick.</p><p>As he was walking downstairs, he couldn't help but wonder if what Lucas had said was true. He didn't <em>want</em> to be thinking it, but he was.</p><p>And the idea irritated the fuck out of him. </p><p>Look, he was under no illusions that he controlled her. If she wanted to suck Lucas's dick, there was nothing he could do to stop her. He wouldn't even try; she could do whatever the fuck she wanted.<em> But </em> she could have at least fucking <em> told </em> him. He thought she would have told him; thought he could trust her.</p><p>Christ how he wished he'd protected himself a little better. Prevented himself from being so fucking into her. Stopped himself from reading too much into a stupid kiss on the cheek.</p><p>The worst part was, he really had no one else to blame except himself. He's the one so entranced with her that instead of talking, he’d groped her like a horny teenager. He couldn’t blame her for continuing to explore things with Lucas.</p><p>But that didn't stop it from stinging.</p><p>He needed to talk to her. As soon as possible. Clear it up. Then he'd know either way.</p><p>
  <em>Just talk to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ask her.</em>
</p><p>Bobby was not at all shocked to find Jess in the kitchen. It was literally like she lived there at this point. Not that he minded; it made her easy to locate.</p><p>Facing away from him, she was standing on her tip-toes, trying to replace a cereal box in the top shelves. He’d always found it annoying that the cereal was on that shelf because the girls were constantly asking the guys for help. But right now, he had never been more grateful as he happily took the opportunity to admire her ass, barely covered in that stupid white bikini she was wearing.</p><p>And then desperately try not to let his mind run wild with it.</p><p>He thought about helping her, but instead just stood there, zoning out a little as his mind definitely <em> did </em>run wild.</p><p>She was singing a tune softly to herself, but he only really started listening <em> after </em>he’d managed to drag his eyes away from curves.</p><p><em> “I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there. </em> <em><br/></em> <em> Become so tired, so much more aware. </em> <em><br/></em> <em> I’m becoming this, all I want -” </em></p><p>Having finally put the box away, she turned around, stopping mid-line as she saw him. For a second she looked surprised, but it quickly softened into a smile that simultaneously put his nerves at ease and caused his heart to flutter.</p><p>“Come for a duet Bee?”</p><p>He chuckled as he walked over to stand beside her, leaning an arm on the counter. “I did nae take yeh for a Linkin Park fan.”</p><p>Jess tilted her head to the side, looking deep in thought before she slowly said, “You know, once this guy ended things with me because I liked Linkin Park.”</p><p>“What?” Bobby stared at her, an incredulous look on his face.</p><p>He honestly couldn’t imagine <em>anyone </em> ending things with her for <em> any </em>reason. Or, well, maybe that was just him.</p><p>Shrugging, she said, “ Yeah… but in the end, it doesn’t even matter.”</p><p>
  <em> Good lord. </em>
</p><p>Groaning, he rolled his eyes at her, “How long were yeh sitting on that one Lass?”</p><p>“My whole life has led up to this point,” she said dramatically, hitting him with a blindingly wide grin, “Jokes on you though, I was singing <em> Numb/Encore</em>, so maybe I’m actually just a fan of Jay-Z?”</p><p>“Are you?”</p><p>“Stupid question, onto the next one.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh god. </em>
</p><p>Unable to stop it, a laugh left his lips as he teased, “How many more of these do yeh have?”</p><p>“Depends, how many more do you want to listen to?”</p><p>As she spoke, she lifted her hand onto the counter, right next to where his forearm was currently braced, and ran her fingers lightly over his skin. It was so casual, it could have been an accident.</p><p>Even if it was, his brain immediately lost track of the conversation, distracted by the desperate urge to touch her. </p><p>Swallowing hard, he heard himself roughly say, “I could listen to yer bad jokes all day.”</p><p>He really hoped he was making sense because he had no fucking clue.</p><p>“Ok, listen, they’re not bad; I’m hilarious.”</p><p>He blinked at her, desperately trying to remember what they were talking about, but, nope, he’d lost the thread completely. He had nothing. All he could do was stare at her. Like a fucking idiot. Though, he didn’t feel <em> that </em>weird about it, because she was staring back at him.</p><p>As her fingers brushed over his arm a second time, his entire brain screamed at him to kiss her. Oh <em> god</em>, did he want to.</p><p><em> Wait, hold up, </em> <b> <em>can </em> </b> <em> I actually kiss her? </em></p><p>
  <em> I mean, is that a thing now? </em>
</p><p>For some reason kissing her in the middle of the day, in the middle of the Villa, with who knows who watching, felt different. More intimate. More… coupley. Definitely more than ‘just friends.’</p><p>Let's be honest, he didn't even <em>try</em> to resist.</p><p>Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her close as he murmured huskily, “I really want tae kiss yeh now.”</p><p>His heart was beating out of his chest; nervous as fuck, hoping she didn’t think he was being too bold.</p><p>Luckily he didn’t have to freak out for too long; her smile quickly dropped from her face, replaced by a look of desire. She swallowed and her lips parted slightly, her breath coming out just a little bit faster, fingers tightening around where they now rest on his biceps.</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit. Ok. We’re actually doing this then? </em>
</p><p>Just as Bobby was closing the distance, her eyes flicked to somewhere behind him and she put a hand on his chest, halting his movement. “Bobby, shit, we can’t.”</p><p>Shock and confusion filled him as she stepped back and out of his arms. Like an idiot, he just stared, watching as she bit her lip and looked down at the ground, hands twisting together in front of her. Her whole demeanor sent dread coursing through his entire body; she was nervous about something.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Curious, he turned his head to look in the direction her eyes had darted only moments ago, and his veins ran with ice. The only people they could see from here, the <em> only </em>thing she could have been looking at, was Lucas and Noah in the middle of the lawn.</p><p>All the air left his lungs at once and it felt like he’d been punched in the gut. </p><p>
  <em>Was it true?</em>
</p><p>In that moment he realised he was far further than he thought from moving them past friends, past potential fuck buddies and into actually dating. Or, well, whatever passed around here for dating.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. </em>
</p><p>Jess lifted her head, meeting his gaze, unsure and apologetic as she stumbled with her words, “Bobby, I need to tell you, see, I, um, kind of -”</p><p>“I got a text!” Hannah’s scream rang out across the Villa, cutting her off, and honestly, he could have killed her for it.</p><p>Closing her eyes, Jess muttered out a small, “Shit.”</p><p>
  <em> Yeah Jess, shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Jess sighed as she walked up to the challenge area. She didn’t have to wait for the instructions. It was fairly fucking obvious it was a kissing challenge.</p><p>With a banner that proudly announced this game was called ‘Cupid’s Arrow’, the entire area was filled with gaudy giant red hearts and cardboard cutouts of cartoon cupids. In the middle stood a giant spinning wheel with the faces of every female Islander on it and sported a giant red heart in the middle. Off to the side were ridiculously large arrows with feathered tails and heart shaped tips.</p><p>
  <em> Fucking great. </em>
</p><p>Normally she’d be down for a kissing challenge, but she already knew this was going to be awkward as fuck. There was literally no one in the Villa she could kiss without pissing <em> someone </em>off. </p><p>Everyone was coupled up, interested in someone else, or, they were Lucas and Bobby.</p><p>
  <em>The. Worst.</em>
</p><p>This is exactly why she vowed to stay away from starting anything serious with anyone.</p><p>God she’d wished she’d stuck to her original plan.</p><p>Especially after her awkward interaction with Bobby just before. The confused and slightly hurt way he'd looked at her was playing on repeat in her mind. </p><p>It wasn't until she'd been faced with having to tell Bobby about the promise she'd made to Lucas, that she realised she was nervous. She was afraid he wouldn’t want to keep it lowkey. That he might just decide it was too hard. That he’d end things with her.</p><p>And going back to just friends was the absolute last thing she wanted.</p><p>She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone before.</p><p>It was annoying as fuck.</p><p>Jess tried to pay attention to the rules as Cherry read them out, blah blah, it wasn’t hard. They each took a turn throwing an arrow and they had to kiss whoever it landed on for five seconds. If they got the heart in the middle, they got to choose who to kiss.</p><p>Her only real question was how you won this dumb game. A question that went unanswered.</p><p>The boys were playing first and Noah stepped up, announcing he was aiming for Hope. He got Hannah and Jess immediately changed her attitude about this game as she watched them engage in the world’s most awkward kiss. It was fucking hilarious; both of them wincing into it.</p><p>Gary was up next and awkwardly said he was aiming for the bullseye, while eyeing Lottie. </p><p>
  <em> Yeah sure Gaz, we all believe you. </em>
</p><p>Unsurprisingly, he was a terrible fucking shot and his arrow landed on Hope. Which was just as weird as the previous kiss.</p><p>Henrik threw and landed Lottie. Their kiss was the kind of over-the-top kiss that Jess might have found funny. But Gary looked devastated and it took the fun out of it immediately.</p><p>Tim went next, and Hannah blushed as he told everyone he was aiming for her. But instead, he got Cherry.</p><p>As Tim pulled away from Cherry, he looked downright flustered and muttered, “Holy shit,” under his breath, walking back to the boys in a daze.</p><p>
  <em> Um, what?  </em>
</p><p>For some reason that made Jess feel irritated. Was this bitch coming for her crown as best kisser in the Villa?</p><p>Oh <em>fuck no</em>. Not happening. It’s on now.</p><p>Luckily she didn’t have to wait too long to throw down her imaginary gauntlet as Lucas, announcing he was aiming for her - which was kind of strange - made the shot; his arrow landing in the center of her picture. It kind of felt symbolic. </p><p>Jess threw her all into it; pulling Lucas close, tugging on his lips with her teeth, massaging his tongue with hers. Lucas's flushed, dizzy face as he pulled away made her feel extremely satisfied. It felt great. Like she’d proven something with her weird vendetta that was only in her head. </p><p>Look, she <em> knew </em>she was being a brat. She <em>knew</em> she shouldn't have kissed him like that.</p><p>But she also didn’t give a fuck.</p><p>In her mind, she'd won a point against Cherry.</p><p>Next up was Bobby and she felt excited apprehension flow through her as she wondered if he was going to say he wanted to aim for her. Part of her wanted him to tell everyone in this fucking place that they were a thing. Part of her was nervous that he might say Cherry.</p><p>
  <em>Oh fuck, please don't say that.</em>
</p><p>His eyes darted briefly over at the girls, barely meeting hers, eyebrows knitted together in a frown and his jaw tight. And that part of her that was nervous he wasn't going to choose her? Yeah, well, now that was all of her.</p><p>Clearing his throat, Bobby told them he was aiming for the middle and Jess watched in absolute horror as he threw the arrow and it landed on Cherry.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>She didn’t <em> want </em>to look, but she couldn’t look away. Forced to just stand there and watch as, without a second of hesitation, he put one arm around her waist, one in her hair and kissed her. Well, actually, he snogged her.</p><p>Shock fogged up her brain, making every second that went by feel like an hour, and she could do nothing but just stand there trying desperately to keep her face neutral while she just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. She might die anyway, seeing as her heart was now lodged somewhere in her throat, restricting her ability to breathe. Jealousy ripped through her core. Her hands shook. Her skin was on fire. Her entire body <em> hurt</em>. </p><p>She knew this was going to be happening, knew he was already kissing Cherry. She <em> shouldn’t </em> be jealous, shouldn’t feel upset. But she was. She couldn’t help it. <em>Seeing</em> it happen, right in front of her, was the fucking <em> worst</em>.</p><p>Eventually they pulled away and Jess immediately looked at the ground, not wanting to risk seeing any kind of flustered expression on Bobby’s face.</p><p>She honestly just couldn’t get it together. All that kept running through her mind was the thought that perhaps she was standing in the way of Cherry and Bobby being together. Was she stopping Bobby from actually being happy? Cherry didn’t have the same hang ups as she did. If it came down to the two of them, Cherry would actually be the best option for him. Far better than her.</p><p>Maybe she was holding him back from that. Holding him back from being happy. Maybe she shouldn’t have kissed him last night. Shouldn’t have tried to… turn his head, or whatever it was she’d been thinking at the time.</p><p>So lost in her thoughts, she wasn’t paying attention as the boys turned the wheel around, revealing the side with all the boys' faces. She did however notice her phone going off to indicate she was first up. Ugh.</p><p>Literally dragging her feet the entire time, Jess’s mind whirred as she walked over and picked up an arrow.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, fuck, fuck.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> What the fuck am I meant to say? </em>
</p><p>Saying she was aiming for the middle would be an out and out lie. There was no fucking way she wanted to actually have to <em> choose </em>who she wanted to kiss. Nightmare. But there was no one she could say. No scapegoat here. No safe choice. There would be consequences no matter who's name she said.</p><p>Clearing her throat, she hoped everyone would let her get away with saying, “I don’t know.”</p><p>Spoiler: They didn’t.</p><p>Cherry said, “You have to actually choose someone.”</p><p>
  <em> Ugh. You’re really making me hate you right now Cherry.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Totally unrelated to Bobby kissing you though. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Just to be clear. </em>
</p><p>“Why are you even bothering to be coy about this?” Hope asked, exacerbated.</p><p>“Fine,” Jess snapped, looking directly at Hope with a fake smile, “I’m going to aim for Noah then.”</p><p>Hope pressed her lips together, as though she didn’t believe her, meanwhile Noah almost choked to death from shock.</p><p>Jess definitely didn’t want to aim for Noah, but Hope kind of handed her a get-out-of-jail-free card, and she was taking it. With both hands.</p><p>She tossed the arrow and the moment it landed was the exact moment she decided this game was fucking rigged. The producers somehow orchestrated this. Using… er, magnets… or… Ugh, specifics and physics didn’t matter; she was blaming them regardless.</p><p>Because it landed in the fucking middle.</p><p>
  <em> Goddamn it. </em>
</p><p>Turning around to face the boys, she forced an unbothered expression on her face while her blood pounded so hard, she almost couldn’t hear anything. Fuck. She prayed for a freak lightning storm, a locust attack, <em> anything </em>to get her out of having to do this.</p><p>Just as she was considering if she could get away with just suddenly coming down with some kind of illness, Hannah broke the silence, “Can you hurry up?”</p><p>“We all know who you’re going to pick anyway,” Hope said.</p><p>“Who?” Cherry asked.</p><p>Hope scoffed, “Lucas.”</p><p>
  <em> Fuck, no.  </em>
</p><p>And then, without any conscious thought whatsoever, Jess opened her mouth and said, “Cherry.”</p><p>Despite being a little surprised at her own choice, Jess raised an eyebrow at Cherry who looked at her with wide eyes but a small small on her lips. A tiny part of her actually wanted to kiss Cherry. She didn’t really see it earlier - because of the whole feeling threatened thing - but Cherry was fucking hot. And according to Tim, and likely Bobby too, her lips had rave reviews.</p><p>Ignoring everyone's shocked responses and complaints about it, Jess strode confidently over to Cherry, slipping one of her hands into Cherry’s gorgeous hair and using her grip to tilt the slightly shorter girls’ head back, feeling pretty fucking satisfied when Cherry made a small sound in the back of her throat and her eyes darkened slightly. It was such a turn on and absentmindedly Jess found herself thinking that she’d definitely fuck Cherry, given the chance.</p><p>On a whisper, Cherry asked, “Do you only want to kiss me because of Bobby?”</p><p>Jess leant in close, allowing her breath to brush against Cherry’s lips, “Me and Bobby aren’t together and I want to kiss you because you’re fit as fuck.”</p><p>When Jess closed the distance between them, she instantly understood the flustered expression on Tim’s face. Cherry was a fucking great kisser and <em> christ </em> her lips were soft. Taking the lead, Jess deepened the kiss and Cherry followed wherever she went; her lips opening easily, her tongue pressing yet yielding. All she could think was that Bobby definitely wouldn’t be downgrading <em> that </em>much with Cherry.</p><p>Which, was a kind of conceited thought to have but, whatever. As if she cared in that moment.</p><p>The boys were cheering like fucking zoo animals as they pulled away. Gross. But honestly, Jess only felt vindication as she watched Cherry blink away the haze that had taken over her eyes.</p><p>
  <em> Yeah bitch. I’m a great kisser too. </em>
</p><p>Alright, she might seriously have to start toning down her competitiveness here. It was getting out of hand.</p><p>With a little skip, Jess casually walked back to her spot, smiling absentmindedly at nothing. Perhaps avoiding looking at Bobby. Maybe.</p><p>The rest of the game continued; Hope landed Gary, Hannah got a bullseye - which was impressive - and chose Tim. Lottie got Noah, which was hilarious for everyone involved, and Priya got Lucas.</p><p>Actually, Priya’s kiss with Lucas was kind of strange. It was almost like <em>neither</em> of them wanted to do it. It’s just... Jess thought Priya was into Lucas. She'd thought Priya would be stoked about this. Right?</p><p>Eh, she didn’t have too much time to dwell on it because then it was Cherry’s turn, and Jess had to use all her concentration to stop herself from grinding her teeth.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, Cherry announced she was aiming for Bobby and also unsurprisingly, Jess pretended that was totally cool and everything was great. It took all her willpower to not look at Bobby for his reaction. Fuck that. She didn’t need to rub salt into her own wound.</p><p>Jess’s theory about the game being rigged might actually be true because Cherry landed Bobby. </p><p>And then to Jess’s absolute joy - not - Cherry proceeded to run straight for him, leaping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist as they started making out.</p><p>Jess seethed, wishing that Bobby had dropped Cherry instead of catching her and she’d fallen to the ground, maybe hurt herself. Look, it may seem like Jess was being just a little murderous at this point, but come on. This just wasn’t fair. </p><p>And maybe she was bitter that Bobby liked Cherry.</p><p>Like super fucking bitter.</p><p>Thankfully, Hope announced the end of the challenge, saying something about how they'd somehow won and therefore would be let in on a secret later in the day. Cool story.</p><p>She really didn’t want to stick around in this hell hole of a challenge area for another second.</p><p>Jess was out.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Bobby was in full panic mode. To be fair, he was <em> before </em>the game had started and it had all just gone downhill from there.</p><p>Since the moment Jess kissed Lucas, his mind was made up. He was <em>not</em> fucking around anymore; they were going to chat and sort this out. He couldn’t take another second of watching or thinking about Jess and Lucas hooking up. He needed to know where he stood. He wanted to know if he was wasting his fucking time here.</p><p>For all his bravado, he was still bricking it as he hunted her down. Mostly because he already suspected the answer; seen it on her face after she’d dodged his kiss earlier, seen her indecision during the challenge.</p><p>She didn’t want to choose. She was keeping her options open.</p><p>He hesitated outside the lounge door that he’d seen her walk into, trying to muster up the strength to actually have this conversation. Preparing himself for worst case scenario. Readying himself to stand there and hear her say the words.</p><p>
  <em> This is going to fucking hurt. </em>
</p><p>With a deep breath, he opened the door, finding Jess standing in the middle of the room, arms stretched out above her head as she stared at him, a mixture of curiosity and annoyance in her eyes.</p><p>Did he glance down at the way her stomach was pulled taut by her stretch? Yes. He didn’t want to, but he definitely did. She was still wearing the stupidly hot white bikini that made her skin glow. Or maybe her skin really did just glow? Seemed plausible to him; her skin was so fucking soft, maybe she used some kind of mosituriser that did it? Maybe he should ask her? </p><p>
  <em> Wait, fuck, focus. </em>
</p><p>Clearing his mind, he shut the door behind him and said, “Hey, can we talk?”</p><p>She let out a huff of breath and released her arms, folding them across her stomach instead, “What about?”</p><p>
  <em> What about? For fuck’s sake. Is she seriously trying to play coy with me? </em>
</p><p>Irritation pricked his skin, making him clench his jaw for a moment.</p><p>Forcing a casual shrug, he said sarcastically, “Oh I dunno, maybe about how yeh dodged kissing me earlier and then snogged Lucas?”</p><p>He really should have known better than to be sarcastic with her. He <em> knew </em>it pissed her off, knew she’d only get mad at it, but he just couldn’t stop it. He was angry. Upset. And it just came out.</p><p>Her face darkened as she sardonically said, “Oh. I didn’t realise that was the most dramatic kiss of the entire challenge. You’re right, we should definitely talk about <em> that</em>.”</p><p>“Hold up,” Bobby said, taking a step towards her, “Yer not the one that gets to be pissed.”</p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t realise I wasn’t allowed to have feelings,” she snipped.</p><p>“That’s not what I -”</p><p>“No? So what did you mean? That you're allowed to hook up with Cherry but I'm not allowed to kiss anyone else?”</p><p>Ire shot through him. How dare she be the one standing there with fury burning in her eyes. <em>He's</em> the one that's upset. <em>He's</em> the one who had to watch her stick her tongue down Lucas's throat. The guy she had been fucking less than two days ago. The guy she might have been fucking this morning.</p><p>As he reached her, his hands gripped hips, pulling her close as a pathetic confession ripped out of him, his tone far too angry for the depth of his words, “I don't want yeh to kiss anyone but me.”</p><p>She scoffed and said in a bratty voice, “Well I don't want you to either.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>He meant it to come out firmly, but instead his voice was husky and low, and her eyes darted to his lips. Just like that, all he could think about was kissing her. </p><p>Shit. But he shouldn’t. They still had some things to talk about.</p><p>But he wanted to. <em> And </em>he couldn’t remember what he even wanted to say. Frankly, he didn't even fucking care.</p><p>Crashing his lips to hers felt almost cathartic, especially as she responded immediately; moaning as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. It was immediately desperate and needy, fueling the fire within him and sending desire shooting straight to his cock. Fuck, he wanted her. </p><p>He knew he should stop. He <em> wanted </em>to stop. </p><p>
  <em> They needed to talk…  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> About something… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shit, what was it again? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Crap. </em>
</p><p>Breaking from her lips, he kissed along her jawline to her ear, tugging her lobe in between his teeth, causing her entire body to shiver.</p><p>He let out a deep groan, “I cannae stop myself around yeh, Lass.”</p><p>“So don’t,” she whispered, her voice so needy it sounded like she was begging him not to.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>As he trailed open mouthed kisses down her neck and along her collarbone, she gasped and moaned, clutching at his hair and shoulders, squirming her body against his, trying to pull him closer. Everything about her was driving him fucking wild.</p><p>Without thinking it all the way through, he grabbed her ass, hoisting her off the floor and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. His lips found hers again as he walked them over to the nearest wall, pressing her against it and groaning into her mouth as she rolled her hips against his over and over. The friction made him want to tear her clothes off right now and fuck her. His whole body burnt with need as he thrust himself hard against her, so fucking grateful that they hardly wore any clothes on this stupid show.</p><p>One of his hands found her breast, shoving the flimsy fabric aside as he rolled her nipple through his fingers, enjoying the way she gasped and arched into his hand.</p><p>“Oh <em> fuck </em> - Bobby,” she breathed between kisses, “Please, yes - <em> god</em>.”</p><p>Their kisses got messier and messier the longer he stood there grinding himself against her, until they were just breathing and moaning into each other's mouths. She kept telling him things about how hot he was, how turned on she was by him, how badly she wanted him, how it’s all she thought about. </p><p>A broken groan left his lips and he balled his fist up against the wall, concentrating on trying not to come but unable to stop moving against her. It just felt so fucking good.</p><p>Somewhere in the back of mind, he knew he should stop this. He didn’t want to fuck Jess against the wall of the lounge. He didn’t want just sex. But <em>fuck</em>, trying to remember that was becoming harder and harder to do and he fought the urge to take things further. Fought the urge to remove the barriers between them and sink himself into her.</p><p>“Oh shit, <em> fuck</em>,” she gasped suddenly. </p><p>He moaned a question against her mouth, not able to listen to the part of his brain that told him to focus.</p><p>“I think - fuck - Bobby - shit - I might -” she choked out, nails digging into his shoulders. </p><p>
  <em> Wait. What? Was she going to come? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No fucking way. </em>
</p><p>All of a sudden he was fucking desperate. All he wanted to do was get her there.</p><p>Fumbling like a teenager, he shoved a hand down between them, pressing his thumb against her clit through her bikini bottoms, groaning at the way she jerked her hips into him.</p><p>He pulled back a little, yearning to see her face. A rosy blush tinged her cheeks, lips swollen, eyes wide, a mixture of pleasure and surprise written on her face as a string of whispered, incoherent curses left her mouth. It was so fucking hot.</p><p>She whimpered pathetically before squeezing her eyes shut, her legs tightening around him, crushing his hand between their bodies. He didn’t even care. Everything about her release made him feel delirious; the way he could feel her thighs twitching, the way she held her breath, the way her hands gripped his shoulders. He got lost in her pleasure.</p><p>Fuck, he wanted to make her come all the fucking time.</p><p>As her body relaxed a little, he kissed her face, neck, anywhere he could get to, oddly feeling fucking grateful for this moment. He slowed his movement, somehow finding the strength to stop himself from following her over the edge, but it was touch and go for a second. </p><p>And then his sanity returned to him from wherever it had taken a brief vacation. </p><p>
  <em> Goddamn it! </em>
</p><p>He was meant to fucking talk to her, and instead he’d just all but ravished her. In the middle of the fucking lounge. When he swore to himself he would take it fucking slow with her. He was <em> meant </em>to be convincing her they should be more than fuck buddies.</p><p>
  <em> Idiot. </em>
</p><p>Slowly he let her slip down to the ground, holding back a wince as his dick screamed at him to keep going, to find his own release, preferably inside of her.</p><p>
  <em> No. Shut up. You’re not making this worse. </em>
</p><p>Despite his dick being, well, a dick, he smiled down at her, enjoying the way her eyes fluttered open, still a little hazy. </p><p>Apparently Jess wasn’t as happy as he was about this because she threw her head back against the wall and covered her face with her hands.</p><p>“Fuuuccck,” she groaned in frustration, “God, that’s so fucking embarrassing.”</p><p>He let out a bark of laughter, “Nah, it was hot.”</p><p>“You only think that because it didn’t happen to you,” she huffed.</p><p>He pulled her hands away and kissed her again, sliding his tongue slowly over hers as she melted into him and wrapped her arms around him. God he loved the way she kissed him.</p><p>Against her lips, he whispered, “It was so fucking hot.”</p><p>He felt her smirk as she ran her fingers teasingly down his chest, slowly tracing over his stomach. Part of him desperately wanted her to continue, to slip her hands below his waist belt and touch him. </p><p>But the bigger part of him told him he had to stop her. And, now that she was no longer a desperate moaning mess, he found it much easier to do. </p><p>Well,<em> ‘much easier’ </em> was relative; it still took <em> all </em>his willpower to actually grab her wrists and hold them off him.</p><p>She raised an eyebrow, still smirking, “No?”</p><p>He let out a small chuckle that was mostly self-pity, “I may have let this get out of control. I actually wanted tae talk tae yeh.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“I…” he trailed off, mentally preparing himself, “I wanted tae know if yeh still... like me.”</p><p>“Well, did you get your answer?”</p><p>He barked a laugh, “It’s clear you want me…”</p><p>“You sure? I mean, I could have easily pretended you were someone else,” she teased, sliding her arms around his neck as his hands found her waist.</p><p>Honestly, he was having a hard time even pretending to be annoyed by her teasing. He wanted a straight answer but also, she was super warm and soft. It was all he could think about. Weeeellllll, all his dick could think about.</p><p>Letting out a groan, he dropped his forehead to hers, whispering, “So… do yeh? Like me?”</p><p>She placed her hands on either side of his face, kissing him softly before muttering against his lips, “Eh, you’re okay, I guess.”</p><p>“Fuck yer the worst.”</p><p>She leant back a little and smiled at him, running her thumbs down his cheeks. He watched as a light blush painted her face and she averted her eyes as she quietly admitted, “I um, I can’t stop thinking about you Bobby.”</p><p>It felt like all the air had left his lungs, his heart beating wildly in his chest. She couldn’t stop thinking about him? She thought about him. All the time?</p><p>Oh god. He wanted to ask what she thought about. Did she think about being with him? About what their life would be like? Did she daydream about them in the real world? Going out and doing fun things together? Staying in and doing mundane things? Did she think about how cute he was? How he made her laugh? How he made her feel?</p><p>Because he thought about all those things.</p><p>Not in a creepy too serious, too soon, kind of way; his mind just drifted to those things on occasion. Unintentionally.</p><p>Shit. Wait. Maybe she meant she thought about fucking him? Maybe that’s <em>all</em> she thought about when it came to him. It wouldn’t surprise him; he had been doing an awful job and trying to keep things PG. Case and point five minutes ago.</p><p>Could anyone blame him though? She set him on fucking fire.</p><p>Not able to think of how to respond, he kissed her again, allowing her lips to drag him out of his thoughts. Allowing himself to just pretend, for now, that maybe she wanted him the same way he wanted her.</p><p>
  <em> Oh crap. </em>
</p><p>At that moment, his stupid brain remembered exactly why he wanted to talk to her in the first place. Like a summer storm, it dampened everything inside him.</p><p>Pulling back, he looked in her eyes, hoping that he would find the answer in them before she spoke the words. That way, he’d be able to steal himself against what was sure to hurt like a bitch.</p><p>“What about Lucas?”</p><p>Her mouth pressed together, eyes widening as nervousness filled her features. All he could think was <em>fuuuucccckkkk</em>.</p><p>Removing her hands from around his face, she twisted them in front of her, looking down as she spoke, “Right. Um, see, well, the thing is… I uh, just don’t want to rub it in Lucas’s face. You know, um, us, I guess.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit. </em>
</p><p>Knowing there were other, more important, things he should be thinking about, he still couldn’t help but melt a little bit at her saying 'us'.</p><p>Her eyes met his hesitantly, as if she were waiting for him to be upset. It didn’t really make sense. Why would he be upset?</p><p>When she spoke, it was quickly, all her words jumbling together like she was pleading with him, “Um, are you ok with that? I know it sucks but we have to live together and it seems unfair to be making out with you around him, when, well, he still has feelings for me. I think. I get that it’s annoying or whatever, but sneaking around isn’t <em> that </em> bad… Oh <em> fuck</em>, it kind of is. I don’t want you to be a secret, but also -”</p><p>“Lass, relax,” he cut her off, laughing a little, “It’s not ideal and Lucas does nae deserve it, <em> but </em>if it makes yeh happy, I’m good with it. Besides, yeh wouldn’t be yeh if yeh didn’t care about everyone’s feelings, and... I like yeh.”</p><p>“You’re not mad?” she asked, the same relief he felt inside written all over her face.</p><p>“Nope. We have a deal. No flaunting our happiness in front of Lucas.”</p><p>She tilted her head, a smile ghosting her lips, “Happiness huh? Bit smug isn’t it?”</p><p>“Oh, so yer not happy? Even after I just made yeh -”</p><p>She threw a hand over his mouth to cut him off, “Don’t you dare McKenzie. It’s not funny.”</p><p>“It is a little bit,” he muttered into her hand.</p><p>“Bobby, do <em> not </em>make fun of me!”</p><p>If he wasn’t so aware that she might actually be embarrassed, he would have laughed. For some reason, he found it absolutely adorable whenever she was grumpy with him; the little annoyed frown she made was the best part.</p><p>Removing her hands from his face, he pulled her arms around his waist and ran his hands through her hair, “I wouldn’t <em> dream </em>of it, Lass. I promise, I was just as into it as yeh.”</p><p>“You were?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course, are yeh kidding? I made yeh come without even <em> trying</em>.”</p><p>Tilting her head back, he pressed his lips to her pulse point, sucking the skin gently into his mouth and reveling in the sound of her breath hitching before murmuring against her skin, “Just imagine what it will be like when I’m actually trying Lass.”</p><p>Jess let out a quiet moan, digging her fingers into his back. Fuck. His dick twitched at her reaction, reminding him he was still hard as fuck, and he mentally kicked himself for starting shit again.</p><p>He’d already proven he had no self-control around her once today, he didn’t need to be reminded of it a second time.</p><p>“Maybe you should show me?” she whispered as he raised his head to look at her.</p><p>God she was tempting. With those stupidly seductive eyes and the pouty lips. But no way. He was not having sex with her too soon. He was not going to fuck this up or complicate it. It was not going to happen. He refused to let it.</p><p>“Oh no no, listen, we are nae having sex right now.”</p><p>She let out a snort of laughter, “Okay, <em> wow</em>, sex is a big leap buddy. I just meant we could make out.”</p><p>Lifting on her toes, she pressed her lips to his, urgent, needy. Fuck. If she kept kissing him like that, they’d never leave.</p><p>Actually, that might not be a bad thing; everyone else here paled in comparison to her anyway. </p><p>“Bullshit,” he muttered against her lips.</p><p>“Alright, well <em> maybe </em>other things too…” she trailed off, running her hands around to his stomach, fingers spread wide as she drifted them along the edge of his waistband.</p><p>He couldn’t stop himself from twitching at her touch, a grunt leaving his mouth that made her smirk. Gripping her wrists, he pulled her hands back around his waist, again, and chastised her, “Okay, Miss Frisky, let’s just stick tae snogging for now, hands in chaste places.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, “I mean, we were <em>'just snogging' </em> earlier, so I feel like you might be an easy nut to crack.”</p><p>“I may not have much, but I sure as fuck have more self-control than yeh.”</p><p>“Sounds like a fucking challenge to me.”</p><p>He groaned, “Christ, I’m regretting this already.”</p><p>“This whole me and you thing?” she mused, her eyes playful.</p><p>“Fuck no, definitely not that.”</p><p>She hummed in her throat then pushed him back gently, strutting over to the lounge door, purposefully swinging her hips wide. He might have drooled a little. Don't judge him; she was so fucking sexy.</p><p>“You will,” she said in a cheerful voice before sauntering out of the room, leaving him awkwardly standing there alone.</p><p>But <em> fuck </em>did he feel fucking amazing.</p><p>It felt like he finally had her. Like she was as in as he was.</p><p>And okay, she hadn’t said that <em> exactly</em>. </p><p>Still, he <em>knew</em>.</p><p>She was into him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For the rest of the day, Jess’s thoughts were dominated by two things. </p><p>The first was the memory of their unexpected tryst in the lounge closet. <em> Fuck. </em> No one had ever made her feel like that before. Like she would <em> die </em>if she didn’t kiss them. Also, no one had ever made her come from fucking dry humping before. But she was trying not to remember that part too much because while it was amazing, it was also super fucking embarrasing.</p><p>So, moving right along to the second thing.</p><p>It probably isn’t a surprise to learn that she was wondering when she was gonna get him alone again. She <em>may</em> have spent the entire afternoon exchanging heated glances with him. God, just the secret looks he was giving her turned her on. She was in so much fucking trouble here. She was screwed. Well, not literally. But she was down to change <em> that </em>as soon as possible.</p><p>For right now though, she was walking with Lottie up to the girls’ dressing rooms to have a chat. Alright, a gossip session. On Lottie’s messed up love triangle.</p><p>Pushing the door open, Jess’s laughter died in her throat and she froze in the doorway, unable to move.</p><p>Sitting on one of the chairs facing the door, was Gary.</p><p>And on her knees in front of him, was Cherry.</p><p>All the breath left her lungs and she barely had enough conscious thought to notice how Lottie had slammed into the back of her.</p><p>
  <em> What. The. Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Every second passed by as though it were happening in slow motion, and, as Gary locked eyes with her, she got the joy of seeing what he looked like when he was horny; eyes full of desire and pleasure. A sight that was going to be burnt into her brain forever. </p><p>Now she knew how Gary felt when he’d walked in on her Lucas in the lounge; horrified beyond description.</p><p>Gary’s eyes widened immediately and he looked past Jess, towards Lottie, horror and fear etching itself into his features. </p><p>And <em> still </em>Jess couldn’t move.</p><p>How the fuck had she ended up being a first eye witness to not one, but two, horror shows so far today? What was next? </p><p>And then, the absolute worst thing that could have ever possibly happened to her, happened. </p><p>Gary pushed Cherry off and stood to take a few steps towards the door - presumably towards Lottie - but all it really did was give Jess front row tickets to <em> Gary’s Dick; A Oneshot</em>. She unintentionally gagged; surprise dick was not quite what she’d signed up for when she’d opened the door earlier.</p><p>
  <em> Seriously, why me? </em>
</p><p>Time seemed to resume it’s rightful schedule and Jess’s brain cleared of shock just in time for her to hear Lottie’s sob as she ran down the hallway.</p><p>With a<em> ‘what the fuck dude’ </em>look at Gary - and complete avoidance of making eye contact with his dick again - Jess spun around and followed Lottie out.</p><p>“Shit, Loz, wait up, are you okay?”</p><p>Without turning around or slowing her pace, Lottie brokenly muttered, “What the fuck do you think Jess?”</p><p>Finally reaching her, Jess grabbed Lottie’s arm, forcing her to spin around and face her. Jess threw her arms around Lottie, one hand buried in her hair, one hand soothingly stroking her back as Jess whispered words of comfort in her ear while Lottie sobbed uncontrollably.</p><p>Jess heard footsteps approaching and, assuming it was likely Gary and Lottie didn’t need that shit right now, she shuffled the two of them through the rooftop door, locking it behind them.</p><p>After a while, Lottie pulled back, her heavy eyeliner running down her face, eyes wide and broken, staring numbly at Jess as though only she could save Lottie from the pain she was in.</p><p>“Cherry?” Lottie whispered as though in a daze, “Gary was getting sucked off by Cherry?”</p><p>Wiping Lottie’s tears, Jess gave her what she’d hoped was a sympathetic smile, “Yeah.”</p><p>“What? Why?” Lottie asked, looking at Jess like she actually wanted her to answer that question.</p><p>“I really don’t know.”</p><p>Lottie sighed, her shoulders slumping as she processed whatever was going on in her head.</p><p>By the time Lottie looked back at Jess, her eyes were filled with anger, “Can you believe him? He ignores me for <em> days </em> and then he tries to tell me he likes me, <em> today</em>, but then an hour later he goes and gets his dick sucked by that whore.”</p><p>“Wait, hold on,” Jess scoffed, “First, don’t call Cherry a whore. Second, and this doesn’t excuse him ignoring you, but Gary has been hurting too and you’ve been hooking up with Henrik anyway. In front of him.”</p><p>Lottie snapped her head up, eyes narrowing as she regarded Jess, “So what? This is all <em> my </em>fault?”</p><p>
  <em> Oh my fucking god. </em>
</p><p>“It’s no one’s <em>fault</em>. I get that it sucks seeing your ex’s cock in someone else’s mouth, and you can be upset about it, but you can’t place the blame on him for <em>all </em>of it. Things were fucked before tonight. You both had a part to play in that.”</p><p>Lottie crossed her arms over her chest, angrily staring at the view, letting the silence hang heavy between them.</p><p>Don’t get her wrong, Jess one hundred percent though Gary was a complete and utter twat for this. But, they’d both been hurting for days. The whole thing was toxic and it would stay that way until they both sacked up and talked.</p><p>Sighing, Jess broke the silence, “I know he likes you and I know you like him. It’s time to have a chat, decide if you’re going to put this behind you or move on. No more games.”</p><p>Lottie’s face twisted up, but just as she opened her mouth to say something, Priya’s voice rang out across the Villa, alerting them to the fact she’d got a text.</p><p>They made their way downstairs in silence, joining the rest of the group where they were gathered on the lawn. Jess was so busy avoiding eye contact with Gary and Cherry that she almost jumped when she felt Bobby’s hand brush her thigh. Casually, as if on accident.</p><p>She’d place money on the fact that it wasn’t and a smirked found it's way to her lips while she stared straight ahead.</p><p>Checking to make sure everyone was there, Priya read out the message, “Islanders. As your reward for the challenge earlier, we’re letting you in on a little secret. Tomorrow night there will be a recoupling. Boys will choose #newcouples”</p><p>“What?” Cherry said in disbelief, “But we haven’t even had much time here!”</p><p>“Better get grafting then,” Lucas suggested.</p><p>
  <em> I mean, she definitely had been. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Jess sighed as she slumped onto the beanbag, grateful that the night was almost over.</p><p>The Villa rumour-mill had worked fairly quickly; the news that Cherry had been giving Gary head in the dressing room spreading like wildfire. It was all anyone had wanted to talk about all night. </p><p>Well that or the recoupling. </p><p>She was over it. Over the way everyone had just assumed her and Lucas were going to get back together. And<em> especially </em>over how everyone had wondered about whether Gary or Bobby was going to choose Cherry.</p><p>Jess was fuming about it. Not a single person even <em>bothered</em> to ask about her and Bobby. Look, she didn’t want to hurt Lucas’s feelings, so she wouldn’t have said anything anyway, <em>but</em> she was extremely irritated that no one even <em> asked</em>. Her and Bobby were the one in a goddamn couple! And what? Everyone just <em>assumed</em> they wouldn't get together? Had no one being paying attention to them? Could no one see the very obvious sexual tension between them?</p><p>
  <em>Fucking rude! </em>
</p><p>Everyone in here fucking sucked. Eh, at least they'd mostly all gone inside by now, leaving the Villa quiet, save for one or two.</p><p>
  <em> Wait. Hang on. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A perfect time to get some privacy with Bobby? </em>
</p><p>Turning her head to see if she could find him, she caught eyes with Bobby who was sauntering over to her already, stupid adorable smile on his face, two mugs in his hand.</p><p>“I made yeh a hot chocolate.”</p><p>“Really?” she beamed at him, oddly happy about being made a hot chocolate for some idiotic reason.</p><p>“Dinnae look at me like that, I can be sweet when I want tae be.”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, she scoffed, “Whatever you say.”</p><p>He nodded towards the firepit and she bounced to her feet, kind of excited to spend some time with him.</p><p>There was really only one problem; one of the people still hanging around outside just so happened to be Gary. And unfortunately, he was currently walking towards the Villa, head down, shoulders slumped, right in front of them.</p><p>So deep in his own thoughts, Gary didn’t even notice them until Bobby let out a laugh and asked, “Alright Gaz?”</p><p>Gary looked up, eyes first going to Bobby, then widening as he locked eyes with Jess.</p><p>
  <em> God. Please don’t make this awkward. I saw your dick. It’s fine. </em>
</p><p>Turns out, Gary was <em>intent</em> on making it awkward.</p><p>Muttering a curse, Gary’s face went bright red as he bounced around for a moment, visibly uncomfortable, “Ah, I’m just…” he pointed a hand towards the Villa, still floundering about.</p><p>Stifling a laugh, Jess smirked at him and put on a husky voice, “Yeah? Want me to join?”</p><p>“Er… Ah, what, I, well, but…” he dropped his head on a sigh and threw a hand up in defeat as he walked away, leaving Jess to giggle quietly.</p><p>“That was… odd,” Bobby commented, raising his eyebrow questioningly.</p><p>Jess shrugged, “I saw his dick.”</p><p>Bobby nearly choked, sputtering for a moment as he tried not to spill their drinks. His eyes were wide as he looked at her, stammering out, “Yeh what?”</p><p>“Yeah, he was like ‘wanna see my dick?’ and I said, <em> ‘obviously</em>, Bobby wouldn’t show me his earlier’.”</p><p>Chuckling, he rolled his eyes and muttered, “Yer a shit,” before they kept walking.</p><p>Bobby handed her a cup as they took a seat at the firepit, thighs pressed together in a way that sent tingles up her body. She couldn’t help but lean into him a little bit, though, if asked, she’d say it was just because it was a chilly night.</p><p>Jess almost moaned out loud as she sipped the hot chocolate. It was so fucking good with the perfect amount of marshmallows. Just the pick me up she needed after a shit night.</p><p>“It was an accident, and I'm traumatised,” she explained, despite being fairly certain he didn't care and likely had already worked out it was probably related to dick-gate.</p><p>He snorted, “Can't have been <em>that</em> bad.”</p><p>“I mean, he definitely doesn't have a pretty dick.”</p><p>Bobby coughed, an expression of confusion on his face as he asked, “A pretty dick?”</p><p>Giving him a sympathetic look, she teased, “Oof. No one ever told you that you had a pretty dick before? Not a great sign, Bee.”</p><p>“Shut up, it's not a thing.”</p><p>“It is.”</p><p>For a moment, he eyed her, searching her face for something. Eventually he gave up, huffing in annoyance, “I honestly can't tell if yer being serious or not.”</p><p>Jess giggled, letting silence fall between them as she stared into his gorgeous eyes. God. Everything about him made her feel things. Things she didn't want to feel, things she wasn't sure she was ready for. It was moments like these, when there was not an overwhelming tone of ‘I want to fuck Bobby’ in her thoughts, that scared her the most.</p><p>She needed to change this. Now.</p><p>Grabbing his mug, she put them both to the side, quickly checking the coast was clear before wrapping one hand around his neck, pulling his lips to hers.</p><p>The slow and deliberate way he moved his mouth across hers made her goddamn toes curl. The way he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips made her scalp tingle. And the way his hands found her face as he deepened their kiss made her moan into his mouth. Christ. She could do this all fucking night.</p><p>Unfortunately, Bobby was purposefully keeping their kiss from getting too heated, keeping it slow and purposeful.</p><p>Running her free hand down the muscles of his stomach, she smirked as he groaned and broke the kiss, dropping his hands from her face to stop her movements.</p><p>“You know who's dick I <em>really</em> wanted to see tonight?” she asked in a husky voice, enjoying the way his eyes darkened.</p><p>“Lassssss,” he whined, warning lacing his tone.</p><p>Not content with their current position, she shifted so she was straddling his lap, knees on either side of his hips.</p><p>Moving her lips to his ear, she whispered, “Hannah's.” </p><p>He dropped his mouth to her shoulder, muffling his chuckle as his shoulders shook slightly. Jess pressed her lips together as she tried not to laugh too, unsuccessfully.</p><p>Once they'd calmed down, he lifted his head to look at her and her breath caught for a second. He just looked so ridiculously amused and happy. God, everything about him made her heart race.</p><p>“So,” he started, a sly grin on his face, “Do yeh want me to choose yeh?”</p><p>She tilted her head, pretending to think about it for a moment before she said, “Do <em>you</em> want to choose me?”</p><p>“Jessss,” he whined.</p><p>“Bobbbyy.”</p><p>Grunting in annoyance, he dug his fingers into her waist, leaning forward to start a tortuous line of kisses along her neck, “Come on, just answer the question,” he pleaded against her skin.</p><p>Holding back a moan, she tilted her head to allow him better access, and teased, “Well, see, what benefits will I get?”</p><p>He scoffed, pulling back to give her an annoyed look, “Yeh know I don’t <em> have </em> to pick yeh right? Yeh should be making <em> me </em>an offer.”</p><p>
  <em>God he's cute when he's annoyed.</em>
</p><p>Desperate to kiss him again, she slid her fingers into his hair and he groaned into her mouth as she kissed him deeply, sliding her tongue against his, rolling her hips against his.</p><p>Massaging her hips and thighs, he pulled her into him, letting her take control of the kiss in a way that left her gasping for air. He made her feel foggy brained, desperate, needy. She couldn't think of anything except how good he made her feel.</p><p>Eventually, needing a breath, she pulled away, momentarily entranced by the heat in his eyes, by how dazed he looked.</p><p>
  <em> Wait. What was I doing? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh right.</em>
</p><p>Dipping her head, she pressed light kisses along his collarbone before whispering, “Because Henrik says he’s good with his hands...”</p><p>“So am I,” he choked out, his grip on her tightening as he threw his head back.</p><p>Sucking lightly at his pulse point, she murmured, “And I reckon I could turn Tim's head from Hannah, what do you think?”</p><p>“Probably,” he muttered, sounding distracted as fuck.</p><p>Oh <em> god</em>. Distracted Bobby was now one of her new favourite things.</p><p>“And Gary,” she carried on, flicking her tongue out against his skin and enjoying the way his body twitched beneath her, “Those muscles. Phoar.”</p><p>Bobby let out a groan filled with frustration, “Jess, can yeh please stop talking about other boys while yer kissing me like that?”</p><p>Letting out a giggle, she whispered, “Look, I know Noah is with-”</p><p>She was cut off by Bobby suddenly lifting her up and off him, setting her down next to him as he got to his feet and started walking towards the Villa, calling back to her, “Nope, I'm done with yeh shit. I’m picking yeh and yeh have no fucking choice now.”</p><p>Finding this whole thing super fucking hilarious, she ran over to him, jumping on his back without warning. She let out a giggle as he caught her, holding her up with his arms under her thighs while he continued walking with her on his back.</p><p>“Okay,” she said cheerfully, “If you insist.”</p><p>“God yer annoying,” he murmured and if she could see his face, she knew he’d be rolling his eyes.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shoutout to ThoracicOrchid for naming Gary's wang show and putting up with my bullshit angst about this chapter. Thanks &amp; sorry. Mostly sorry 🙃</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Oh? Are we dating now?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What will happen at the recoupling? Who knows.</p><p>Do they finally sort their shit? Might take years of therapy.</p><p>Could things be coming up Jobby? Er... what?</p><p>Fair warning, none of the other Islanders really exist today. We hate them all. Welcome to the Jess and Bobby show.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Today, Jess woke up to Bobby’s sweet cinnamon scent engulfing her just as much as his arms were. Laying on their sides, facing each other, he had one of his arms underneath her head, and one wrapped around her waist, holding her close. It was warm and comforting, and <em> god </em>she felt happy.</p><p>As in, stupid idiotic grin overtaking her face, kind of happy.</p><p>Swarm of butterflies threatening to burst out of her chest, kind of happy.</p><p>On the brink of being able to say ‘holy shit, spontaneous combustion is real’, kind of happy.</p><p>
  <em> Oh for fuck’s sake! </em>
</p><p><b> <em>Please </em> </b> <em> shut the fuck up. </em></p><p>She <em> really </em>fucking hoped it was just her still half-asleep brain that was getting all sentimental about this. </p><p>But, well, she feared it might not be because, instead of being a normal person, she blinked her eyes open and found herself admiring him as he slept. Like the real fucking creeper she is deep down.</p><p>It wasn’t her <em> fault</em> though. It’s just... he took her breath away; the peaceful expression on his face, the freckles that dotted his skin, the way one corner of his mouth was tilted upwards. </p><p>
  <em> How is it even possible someone could be so beautiful? </em>
</p><p>Still a little foggy from sleep - that’s the excuse she’s sticking to - she untangled one of her arms from him and softly ran her fingertips across his cheeks. She wanted him to wake up. Wanted him to open his gorgeous eyes and look at her.</p><p>Not so she could stare into his eyes though. Er, because she wanted to make out with him. Yup. That’s why.</p><p>His breathing changed and he tightened his arms around her, a soft hum drawing up from his throat as he enjoyed her touch, eyes still shut.</p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck. He’s so cute. </em>
</p><p>Leaning closer, she brushed her lips across his, keeping it light and barely-there even when he tried to move forward to kiss her back. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly, but there was something about them lying in the darkness of the bedroom, teasing him with these silly kisses, that made her heart stutter.</p><p>With a quiet groan, he shifted his hand from her waist, tangling it into her hair as he held her head in place and kissed her properly, deliberately. Tilting her head whatever way he wanted to, she was completely lost to the world, incapable of rational thought.</p><p>He should teach a masterclass in kissing; she didn’t stand a fucking chance.</p><p>As she pulled the sheet over their heads, he chuckled and sucked on her bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth and scraping his teeth along it. Oh god. She couldn’t help but imagine him doing that exact same thing between her legs, and lust slammed into her, making her feel dizzy and desperate for more. </p><p>He needed to be closer, needed to kiss her harder, needed to touch her. </p><p>Wrapping her fingers around his dreads, she purposefully pulled at them in a way she had already learnt he liked, his low groan sending shivers down her spine. And just like that, his kiss became filled with urgency and need.</p><p>He slid his hand down her back and over her ass before he grabbed her thigh and pulled her leg over his hips. This new position allowed her to feel him pressed up against her stomach, already hard, and she couldn’t hold back a whimper.</p><p>Oh god, she wanted him. The way he was running his hands up and down her thighs, his fingers finding their way under the bottom of her shorts and barely brushing past where she wanted him most, had her gasping for air, her hips shifting impatiently, searching for the friction she craved.</p><p>As he made yet another teasing pass, she reached back and stopped his hand, breaking their kiss to whine quietly, “<em>Please</em>, Bobby.”</p><p>“Please what?” he asked, a smirk on his face as he started kissing her face and jaw; anywhere he could reach.</p><p>She couldn’t answer, way too distracted by how he ran a finger slowly - way too fucking slowly - along her centre, on the outside of her panties. Part of her wanted to hit him for being annoying, but really, she just wanted him to fucking touch her. Properly.</p><p>Apparently she was being super fucking obvious about it too, because he chuckled and whispered, “Do yeh want me tae touch yeh Lass?”</p><p>Digging her fingers into his bicep, she breathed, “I want you to fuck me.”</p><p>He pulled his head back and looked at her. Even in the low light she could see his eyes were blown out, his chest rising and falling as he took slightly ragged breaths and muttered, “Christ.”</p><p>As though she had flipped a switch, Bobby crashed his lips onto hers, immediately sliding his tongue into her mouth, desperate, impatient. His hands moved to her stomach, roughly shoving his hand inside her shorts, both of them groaning as he pressed two fingers to her clit.</p><p>
  <em> Oh my fucking - </em>
</p><p>Without warning, the lights came on; the harsh light illuminating their little sanctuary and instantly turning Jess’s desire into fucking rage.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Are you - is there - UGH! </em>
</p><p>Bobby twisted his mouth up as he looked at her, an expression of amusement laced with frustration. She could relate. To the last part anyway. She wasn’t amused at all.</p><p>This was fucking bullshit.</p><p>And part of her kind of wanted him to keep going. </p><p>
  <em> I mean he’s already there... I can be quiet. </em>
</p><p>But alas, Bobby untangled himself from her and sat up against the pillows, chatting with everyone as he usually did. And if Jess wasn’t a grumpy person in the morning usually, she sure as fuck would be today. She had no time for anyone’s shit.</p><p>It had nothing to do with being sexually frustrated though. She was a big girl. She was <em> fine</em>. So she didn’t get off, who cares?</p><p>Did she want to kill the producers? </p><p>No.</p><p>Maybe.</p><p>Only a little.</p><p>Eventually, after what felt like fucking hours, everyone had gotten up, heading out of the bedroom and leaving the two of them alone. Kinda how it should always be.</p><p>Turning her head, she looked over at Bobby, purposefully lowering her lashes and biting her lip. The smirk that was on his face dropped and, with a small groan, he leant over, putting his hands on either side of her face and kissed her slowly, like he wanted to savour every second.</p><p>Not quite the vibe she was hoping for.</p><p>And yet, she still melted.</p><p>
  <em> Fucking simp. </em>
</p><p>When he pulled away, he sighed, resting his forehead against hers and said, “I’m actually glad we got interrupted.”</p><p>She moved her head back so she could look at him, an incredulous look on her face that made him laugh.</p><p>“I’m nae gonna fuck yeh fer the first time in front of our roommates,” he told her.</p><p>While his tone was light, there was something in his eyes that made her wonder if he was being serious, if there was something deeper there. Something she was purposefully choosing to ignore, not sure she wanted to delve into any kind of serious chat with him.</p><p>Placing a hand on his chest, she tilted her head and whispered, “They’re not here now...”</p><p>For a millisecond, his eyes flashed with heat, but instead of pulling her in for another kiss like she expected, like she’d hoped, he lifted a finger and pressed it to her nose.</p><p>“Boop.”</p><p>
  <em> Boop? </em>
</p><p>Look, don’t get her wrong; she loved this little game they played, but she was kind of confused by it right now. It wasn’t the reaction she had thought she’d get.</p><p>“I guess we should get up...” she said, smiling through her awkwardness.</p><p>Bobby hopped out of bed, holding his hand out to pull her up too. “Aye, the day awaits.”</p><p>
  <em> The day awaits? </em>
</p><p>As they walked upstairs, Bobby chatted away about something she wasn’t really listening to; his demeanor completely casual, completely at ease. And she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it was just her. Maybe she was the only one who felt overwhelmed with passion around him? Maybe he wasn’t as into her as she was into him?</p><p>He <em> had </em> to though, right? It <em> wasn’t </em>one sided. She was sure of it. The way he looked at her, the things he told her, the way he touched her. He was just as desperate for her too. She wasn’t in this alone.</p><p>Fuck. But what if she was?</p><p>Oh crap. What if his feelings had changed?</p><p>She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong between them. No matter how hard she tried. It was driving her fucking nuts.</p><p>After showering and dressing, she left most of the girls to their gossiping in the dressing room. Instead, she was on the hunt for the one person she really needed to talk to. Lottie. </p><p>She knew it was kind of selfish because Lottie had her own shit going on, but she really needed a friend and now she was doing… whatever it was she was doing with Bobby, she didn’t have many of those in the Villa. </p><p>Thankfully, Lottie was easily located; eating a bowl of cereal in the kitchen alone, and she made a beeline for her. No joke; she practically sprinted.</p><p>“Hey,” she breathed out, unable to keep the relief out of her voice.</p><p>Lottie looked up in surprise, her eyes widening as she slowly said, “Heeeyyy.”</p><p>Suddenly, Jess felt stupid. What the fuck had she even planning to ask Lottie? <em> ‘Do you know if Bobby wants to fuck me?’ </em> Christ. What the fuck is wrong with her.</p><p>“I… ah, I just, um, wanted to, er, make sure that… you didn’t eat all the cornflakes,” she finally spat out, grabbing the cornflakes from next to Lottie.</p><p>Lottie opened her mouth for a moment, looking as though she was going to call Jess out, but instead she just nodded and looked back down at her bowl.</p><p>
  <em> Huh. I guess I wasn’t as awkward as I thought I was. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Or maybe she’s still pissed about what I said? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Maybe something awful happened with Gary last night? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Should I ask? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shit. </em>
</p><p>For the first time since entering the Villa, Jess was at a complete loss at how to talk to Lottie. She didn’t know how to start, what to say, what to ask.</p><p>So instead of doing any of it, she just made herself a bowl, sat down on the stool next to her and ate in silence. Horrifically uncomfortable silence. </p><p>Why the fuck couldn’t she just ask Lottie what was going on?</p><p>After fucking <em> hours </em>of tourtous silence - okay, like ten minutes - Lottie cleared her throat, “Um, so there’s something I need to say and, er, ask...”</p><p>Oh fuck. Dread filled Jess as she caught eyes with Lottie. She looked worried and nervous and completely not how Lottie normally looked. This was going to be bad.</p><p>“Do you have feelings for -”</p><p>“Morning ladies!”</p><p>Honestly, the sound of Tim’s cheerful voice was like a fucking cry from the heavens. Not just because Jess was <em> sure </em>she didn’t want to answer whatever question Lottie was about to ask, but also because his energy at that moment was contagious; massive grin on his face, practically bouncing into the kitchen area. Fun, light and carefree. Jess could do fun, light and carefree. No fucking problem.</p><p>“Well, aren’t you in a good mood?” Jess commented with a sly smile.</p><p>“Sure am,” Tim chirped with a wink, “Usually happens after you get the girl you want.”</p><p>“You haven’t exactly ‘got her’ yet,” Lottie countered.</p><p>“Oh ye of little faith my beautiful witch, I definitely did. Twice.”</p><p>
  <em> Holy shit! </em>
</p><p>Was Jess a little proud that she’d been the one to hook them up? Obviously. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to give him shit about it though.</p><p>With a dramatic gasp she said, “Tim! Hannah would <em> hate </em> that you’re telling us this! You should <em> never </em>kiss and tell. It’s her biggest pet peeve.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hide the small amount of worry in them. “No, I know she would have already told you.”</p><p>Lottie gave Tim a sympathetic look. “She hasn’t said a word. You might have just fucked this.”</p><p>“Twice,” Jess added, to be a shit.</p><p>“Fuck!” he yelled, eyes widening as panic etched into his features. She didn’t even feel bad about it; it was fucking hilarious.</p><p>Sucking air between her teeth, Jess said, “I mean, you did <em> that </em>already…”</p><p>“Twice, right?” Lottie asked.</p><p>“But I just…” Tim stammered out, “I thought that… oh god, no.”</p><p>“<em>Oh god no? </em> Yikes,” Jess teased, “I hope that’s not what she said last night...”</p><p>“Oof. Twice.”</p><p>Tim yelled an indignant, “No!” </p><p>And, <em> dammit</em>, his absolute horror at their suggestion ruined the game. Lottie let out a cackle, clearly unable to hold back her laughter anymore, while Jess had to press her lips together to not join in, shoulders shaking as she tried to keep her shit together.</p><p>Eyes darting between the two of them, Jess could practically <em>see</em> him slowly putting the pieces together in his mind. It actually took longer than she thought it would, given that by now, both her and Lottie were laughing loudly and obnoxiously.</p><p>“You were messing with me,” he finally said, his voice both amused and annoyed.</p><p>“Shit Tim - sorry - you just -”</p><p>“It was so easy!” Lottie choked out, clutching her side, still cackling away.</p><p>“It’s not funny,” Tim huffed.</p><p>Jess nodded. “Yeah, it was.”</p><p>“No, it -” Tim cut himself off, looking at something behind them, “Lucas! I need your opinion!”</p><p>Turning around, Jess spotted Lucas halfway across the lawn, looking like a deer in headlights. Her laughter died instantly at his expression, watching as he hesitated, eyes darting around the three of them, discomfort marring his normally stoic face.</p><p>
  <em> Wait.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>His eyes locked with hers and something in the depths of them made her heart race in mild panic. Was he worried? Scared? Guilty? She couldn’t put her finger on it, but whatever it was, she didn’t like it at all. She thought they were okay now. She <em> wanted </em>them to be okay.</p><p>“Come <em>on</em>,” Tim called out impatiently.</p><p>With a last uncomfortable glance around, Lucas sighed and started walking over, eyes focused on Tim as he launched into a retelling of the story.</p><p>But Jess wasn’t paying attention anymore; instead focused on how Lottie had tensed up beside her. It was like the last few minutes had just disappeared and Lottie had gone straight back to the same uncharacteristically quiet and uncomfortable mood she’d been in when Jess had first walked into the kitchen. She could almost use her <em>spoon</em> to cut through the tension in the air.</p><p>This whole thing was super fucking weird.</p><p>And then it got weirder.</p><p>“Who would have thought Lottie could be so funny?” Tim was jokingly saying to Lucas, “<em>You</em> wouldn’t have called it, right mate?”</p><p>Lucas’ eyes darted quickly to Lottie and he shuffled around on his feet, looking the most uncomfortable Jess had ever seen him look. He didn’t even have this reaction the day after they broke up.</p><p>Clearing his throat, Lucas said, “Yeah, listen, I gotta go.”</p><p>Then, without another word, and completely ignoring Tim calling out after him, Lucas turned and walked back towards the Villa. Correction. <em> Ran </em>back towards the Villa.</p><p>“What was that?” Tim asked as he turned back to Jess.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck if I know. </em>
</p><p>In an attempt to make light of the situation, Jess joked, “Not sure, but it kind of looked like the awkward morning after between those two.”</p><p>Lottie made a loud choking sound, her eyes flying up to meet Jess’, filled with panic and fear as she stumbled around, nothing but half-words and noises coming out of her mouth.</p><p>
  <em> No. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> This has to be a fucking joke. </em>
</p><p>But it wasn’t. The truth was written all over Lottie’s face.</p><p>“Oh my god…” Jess whispered, dumfounded.</p><p>It was one of those moments in life when you are so completely and utterly shocked, all you can hear is ringing in your ears, all you can see is blurred shapes, all you can feel is your goddamn jaw dropping to fucking floor.</p><p>
  <em> Lottie and Lucas. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Off. </em>
</p><p>Desperately, Lottie grabbed hold of Jess’s arm, attempting to get her attention, “Jess, I, but, wait, you - ”</p><p>Jess interrupted her babble, voice quiet and calm, “You fucked Lucas?”</p><p>“I was upset after Gary... I didn’t mean to, it just… happened and I’m so sorry, I was…”</p><p>Jess tuned out of Lottie’s explanation, absentmindedly watching Tim as he scrambled out of the kitchen like a rabbit running from wolf. She wished she could do the same.</p><p>But she couldn’t. She couldn’t fucking move.</p><p>She just felt numb.</p><p>Everything was blank. Her feelings, her mind; <em> everything</em>.</p><p>Then, all at once, all her feelings hit her, winding her in the process, making her heart constrict in her chest. Discomfort, annoyance, confusion. And then there was the one that she was most afraid of. Hurt.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Getting to her feet, she mumbled out, “I need to talk to Lucas,” ignoring Lottie as she called out unnecessary apologies. Unnecessary because Jess didn’t have any feelings towards Lottie at all; they were all about Lucas.</p><p>As she blindly walked towards the Villa, part of her wondered if maybe her feelings for Lucas weren’t as resolved as she’d thought they were. Her hurt didn’t really make any sense. </p><p>She liked Bobby. </p><p><em> Only </em>Bobby.</p><p>Right?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ugh. He’d choked. Again.</p><p>Bobby was <em> meant </em>to tell Jess that he wanted to take things slow with her, that he didn’t want it to be about sex. But, not only was he sorely tempted to break that earlier, he also had chickened out on telling her why.</p><p>
  <em> Boop? Who does that? </em>
</p><p>He was so embarrassed by his inability to just tell her the truth that he had spent the morning avoiding her. If he wasn’t around her, he didn’t have to broach the subject, because he wouldn’t have to stop them from finishing what they’d started this morning.</p><p>So, yes, <em> maybe </em>he had spent the morning hiding upstairs. </p><p>And, yes, <em> maybe </em>he was now sneaking downstairs to refill his water bottle and really hoping Jess wouldn’t find him.</p><p>But - <em> of fucking course </em> - it didn’t quite work out as well as he’d hoped.</p><p>Just as he was twisting the lid back onto his bottle, he looked up to find Jess walking across the lawn towards him. Alright, walking was a euphemism. She was <em> storming</em>; hands balled into fists at her sides, giving him the death glare thing she always did.</p><p>He really tried not to smile, he truly did, but he couldn’t help it. The way her eyebrows were twisted, lips pursed, stomping towards him like some kind of sexy vengeful goddess. It was just so fucking… hot. Not to mention the dark green one piece she was wearing was cut ridiculously low in the front. </p><p>How is it even possible that a girl like her was into him?</p><p><em> Super </em>into him, if this morning was anything to go by.</p><p>Just like that, all his plans to stay away from her vanished into thin air. He didn’t want distance. He wanted to be as close to her as possible. Now.</p><p>Though, he definitely shouldn’t be thinking about kissing her right now. He <em> should </em>be a little worried, judging by the way her eyes narrowed as he smiled at her.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. Try to look at least a little contrite. </em>
</p><p>Clearly it hadn’t worked because she scoffed as she reached the kitchen, putting her hands on her hips as she eyed him angrily.</p><p>“Did something happen between you and Lucas yesterday morning?”</p><p>
  <em> Oh shit. I forgot about that. </em>
</p><p>To be honest, he was a little surprised she hadn’t heard about it already. Seemed like something the Villa rumour-mill would have churned up by now. Noah <em> surely </em>would have told Hope, and once that happened, <em>everyone</em> would hear about it.</p><p>Wondering how long he’d spend in the dogbox for this, he ran his hand over his face and assessed her actual anger level. Definitely at least a five, possibly six.</p><p>He could talk his way out of this.</p><p>“Lass, listen -”</p><p>“No. <em> You </em>listen, I will not tolerate any machismo bullshit from you. You are on a national stage and threatening to beat other guys up is unacceptable.”</p><p>“Fine,” he rolled his eyes, knowing it would piss her off more. “Yeh done being mad?”</p><p>Her eyes narrowed even further at him and literally all he could think about was how cute she was. How her hair was tied in a ponytail but all these little wispy bits hung around her face. How, with her shoulders squared back like that, her barely covered breasts were pushed out. How much he absolutely <em> loved </em>pissing her off when she was like this. </p><p>“No. And stop rolling your eyes when I’m telling you off,” she huffed.</p><p>“Stop being so adorable when yer telling me off.”</p><p>Jess threw her hands in the air in frustration and groaned, “Oh my god, I hate you.”</p><p>“Yeah?” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he leant over the counter and stage-whispered, “Wanna go to the rooftop and snog a little?”</p><p>Crossing her arms over her chest, she eyed him for a moment, fighting off a smile. Watching her struggle to stay mad at him was honestly one of his favourite things. Had been since day two, when he’d got her from the pool for breakfast and she’d snapped at him. Despite being a brat that day, her eyes had flickered with amusement for a moment, and he almost fell for her right then. Looking back, he really should have known that they’d end up here; about to go make out on the rooftop.</p><p>Was he overly confident? Yes. </p><p>Was it misplaced? Nope.</p><p>“Ugh. Fine. Come on then,” she said grumpily, turning and walking off towards the Villa without bothering to wait.</p><p>“Yeees,” he called out, jogging to catch up, “Race ya?”</p><p>“Bobby! I don’t - ugh!” Jess yelled out as he sped past her.</p><p>Once he’d reached the rooftop - first, by the way - he sat on one of the benches, impatiently waiting for her to join him, just now realising that if he’d stayed behind her he could have watched her ass as she walked up the stairs.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> No. You’ve got to tell her. Talk to her. </em>
</p><p>But fuck, that was hard to remember once she’d walked through the door, a sly smile tugging at her lips as she came to a stop just out of his reach.</p><p>Shaking her head, she commented, “This is proof I’d make an awful parent you know; rewarding bad behaviour.”</p><p>“Eh, I dinnae care,” he said with a shrug, making a grabby motion towards her with his hands.</p><p>She snorted, reaching out to take his hands and allowing him to pull her closer. <em>Fuck</em>, just the knowledge that he was about to kiss her again sent his heart into overdrive. </p><p>
  <em> Would it ever not be like this? </em>
</p><p>“When did you get so cocky?” she asked, tilting her head as she moved to straddle his lap, knees either side of his hips.</p><p>Threading a hand through her hair, he brought her face closer to his, allowing his breath to ghost her lips as he whispered, “Somewhere around the time when we were in the lounge and -”</p><p>“Don’t say it McKenzie,” she chastised, trailing her fingernails up his arms and around his shoulder, goosebumps pricking his skin.</p><p>“I was <em> gonna </em>say, ‘and yeh told me yeh couldn’t stop thinking about me’.”</p><p>“You are so full of shit,” she murmured, pressing her lips against his.</p><p>Instantly he lost himself in it, letting her set a passionate and urgent pace that made him feel out of control. And maybe he was. It certainly felt like there was nothing he could do about his feelings for her. It felt like part of him might always want her. Might always need her.</p><p>Something that was not at all helped by the way she was moving on top of him, running her hands over his back and arms, deepening their kiss. <em>God</em>. He was certain he’d never wanted anyone more than he wanted Jess, and he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing her hips and dragging her flush against him so she could feel how hard she made him. Which is to say, <em> so </em>fucking hard. Almost painfully so.</p><p>With a small whimper, she broke the kiss, staring at him with hazy eyes as she slowly rolled her hips against him and he almost couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t sure if he remembered his own name anymore, his entire brain completely distracted by her gorgeous blue eyes, and the tiny gasps she was making.</p><p>Oh fuck. He was fucking drowning in her; once again completely forgetting the meaning of ‘taking things slow’. </p><p>Somewhere around the time she was sliding her hands down his chest, tracing the muscles of his stomach, he remembered he really needed to talk to her. He needed to stop them for a minute. Though, it was the last thing he wanted.</p><p>“Wait, Jess, <em> please</em>,” he choked out pathetically, using the last of his self-control to grab her wrists.</p><p>She hummed, faint amusement on her face as her thumbs drew little circles on his stomach that almost short circuited his brain.</p><p>He groaned loudly, mostly in frustration at himself.</p><p><em> Idiot. You are a fucking idiot</em>. </p><p>“We have tae stop.”</p><p>Her whole body stilled on his and she blinked away the daze in her eyes, her voice almost shaky as she said, “Stop?”</p><p>Fuck, he was going to regret this. He fucking knew it. <em> Fuck.  </em></p><p>“I would love tae continue,” he let out a huff of amusement and ever so slightly lifted his hips into hers, “<em>Obviously</em>.”</p><p>She frowned in confusion, “But?”</p><p>“<em>But </em> I dinnae want tae rush this.” </p><p><em> Moron</em>.</p><p>She tilted her head as she said, “Be more specific.”</p><p>He sighed, taking hold of her hands and lacing their fingers together. “We’ve both been in a few friends-with-benefits situations before, and we’re both pretty good at them...”</p><p>Pressing her lips together, she nodded slowly.</p><p>“I don’t want this to be like that. I <em> like </em>yeh and I want tae take this slow, maybe…” he trailed off, in complete disbelief that he was actually going to say the words, “… take sex off the table.”</p><p>If he could take a picture of her face right now, it would be the dictionary definition of shocked. To be fair, he was a little shocked too.</p><p>“Completely?” she eventually breathed out.</p><p>With a shrug, he answered as honestly as he could, “I really don’t knae what I want. I just don’t want tae fuck this up.”</p><p>Apprehension filled his chest as she immediately broke eye contact, gazing past his shoulder deep in thought as a series of emotions passed over her face. </p><p>He wanted to give her space to think, he really did, but mostly, he just wanted to yell at her. Tell her he was fucking terrified of loosing her. Tell her that he was so scared that all they had was banter and chemistry. Tell her that this was the most serious chat they’d had since they started hooking up and he fucking <em> missed </em>her. Missed their easy chats. Missed the way she used to open up to him.</p><p>But he couldn’t say any of it because she’d run for the fucking hills.</p><p>Hell, she might run right now.</p><p>The apprehension he felt slowly turned his blood cold the longer she sat there in silence, just staring ahead, barely moving, barely breathing. Fuck he <em> hated </em>not being able to read anything in her expression.</p><p>And then a little snort escaped her. Followed by another, her whole body now shaking with the laughter she was trying to hold back, moving her hands to steady herself on his shoulders.</p><p>“Are you laughing at me?”</p><p>“No, no, oh I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, just -” she interrupted herself with a giggle, dropping her head down as she started laughing properly, no longer trying to hold it back.</p><p>Even though he was kind of pissed, he can’t help but let a little chuckle out, his irritation fading almost straight away.</p><p>Godammit. Why can’t he stay mad at her? </p><p>
  <em> Fuck. I’m so screwed. </em>
</p><p>Eventually she calmed down, looking at him with amusement. “I didn’t think <em> you </em> would be a prude Bee.”</p><p>“Most girls would call it romantic, but sure, let’s go with prude,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes playfully and placing his hands on her waist. He doesn’t want to rush them, but <em> fuck</em>, he can’t stand not touching her.</p><p>“Aww Bee, surely you know by now that I’m not like ‘<em>most girls’ </em> you’ve dated before?”</p><p>“Oh? Are we dating now?” he teased, hoping to make her blush.</p><p>Instead she smirked, lowering her lips to his and whispering, “You fucking wish.”</p><p>“Mmhmmm, I do,” he hummed quietly, closing the gap before she has a chance to freak out about it.</p><p>Jess let him kiss her slowly for a few minutes before she moved to trail kisses along his jawline. With a grunt, he tilted his head to the side to give her better access, and when she reached his ear, she pulled his lobe in between her teeth, sending a jolt to his crotch and he involuntarily bucked his hips.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Shit. Not helping. </em>
</p><p>Letting out a smug chuckle, her breath on his ear sent shivers down his spine as she whispered, “Obviously, I respect your decision…”</p><p>“Yeah, but...”</p><p>“<em>But </em> I’m not gonna make it easy for you.”</p><p>Of course she wouldn't.</p><p>
  <em> Yup. Seriously fucking screwed. </em>
</p><p>“I got a text!” Hannah’s voice called out across the Villa, and he rolled his eyes in annoyance.</p><p>What did the producers not understand about the two of them making out on the rooftop? Seemed fairly fucking obvious to him: do <em> not </em>interupt.</p><p>Though, he supposed he <em> should </em>be grateful for an excuse to stop before he had to do it a second time. He only had so much willpower at his disposal.</p><p>Jess groaned but didn't even attempt to move off him, continuing to press light kisses along his jaw.</p><p>“Lassss…”</p><p>”I don’t wanna,” she muttered.</p><p>“Mmm, but we have tae.”</p><p>“Text!” Hannah screamed out again, clearly not having garnered enough attention the first time around.</p><p>With a sigh, Jess shuffled off his lap and to her feet, readjusting her swimsuit in front of him.</p><p>He <em>might</em> have drooled a little.</p><p>Stupid Villa. Stupid producers. Stupid Hannah.</p><p>As they walked out the door, he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer and kissing her softly, his heart thrumming loudly as she let out a content sigh.</p><p>She smiled up at him as he pulled away, her eyes shimmering with affection and fuck, he’d give anything for her to keep looking at him like that; like she really fucking liked him, like she wanted to be with him. It was kind of embarrassing to admit, but his heart literally skipped a beat for her in that moment.</p><p>In a playful voice she said, “Now, you go that way, I’ll go this way.”</p><p>He wished he hadn’t, but he laughed. God, why did he enjoy her nonsense so much?</p><p>“I’m only doing that if yeh call me Captain B-Smooth fer the rest of the day.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes and huffed, “Fine,” before stepping out of his arms.</p><p>“Shit, wait,” she said as he went to turn away, “Bobby, does it look like we’ve been making out?”</p><p>Crossing his arms over his chest, he silently raised his eyebrows, enjoying the flash of irritation in her eyes.</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” she groaned, “<em>Captain B-Smooth</em>, does it look like we’ve been snogging for the last hour?”</p><p>Deliberately slowly, he ran his eyes over her entire body, pretending to hum and har. If she was giving him an opportunity to openly ogle her; he was taking it. No questions.</p><p>“Aye, it does.”</p><p>“Fuck,” she muttered, attempting to smooth her hair down.</p><p>“I’m joking, yer fine. Yeh look gorgeous Lass.”</p><p>Grabbing her chin, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips before walking off down the hall, feeling pretty pleased with himself. They hadn’t talked as much as he wanted to, but at least she knew where he was at. She knew he liked her enough to worry about fucking it up. He’d put his cards on the table.</p><p>He just hoped she might do the same soon too.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Jess sat at her dressing table, just staring at herself, zoning out as all the girls got dressed for the recoupling.</p><p>The entire day had passed by in a blur; she’d laughed, she’d smiled, she’d thrown around banter and jokes, but she couldn’t help the fact that she’d been distracted all day long. Tense. Frustrated. </p><p>Ugh. Whatever you want to call it; she was <em>not</em> happy.</p><p>Because Bobby fucking McKenzie wanted to take sex off the table, and for some reason, that’s now <em> all </em>she could think about.</p><p>She hadn’t been able to concentrate on a single thing; not the stupid ‘rank your fellow islanders in order of attractiveness’ challenge, not the awkward conversation Gary had tried to have with her about Cherry and Lottie, not even the semi-interesting chat she’d had with Noah about their favourite novels. </p><p>Every time she tried to act like a normal person, all she could think about was him.</p><p>He was driving her fucking nuts.</p><p>Part of her wondered if this was some kind of master plan of his; frustrate the living fuck out of her until she drops dead. It would be a great way to break up with someone without actually having to do it. Fuck, it would be a great way to get rid of the dead weight on this Island; it could do with some culling.</p><p>She was joking. Mostly.</p><p>But, at this point in the day, even Bobby could leave and she’d be cool with it.</p><p>Alright. Maybe she was throwing her toys out of the cot just a little harder than she should be.</p><p><em> Really though? Take sex </em> <b> <em>off </em> </b> <em> the table? What was this? The regency? Does he want to get married before he fucks me? Because if that’s the case, I’m fine with being his mistress instead. Hell, he could pay me enough and I’d just wait at home for him all day. No problem. </em></p><p>He was taking this far too seriously. </p><p>And also, she <em> might </em> be just a little freaked out by it. It felt like he was expecting something more from her. Something she wasn’t yet sure she wanted to give him. Something she didn’t even know if she <em> could </em>.</p><p>The whole thing was kind of scary and overwhelming. And that’s pretty much why she was leaning heavily into her frustration today. It seemed like it would be easier to be annoyed about it than to actually have to think about what that meant.</p><p>“Jess?” </p><p>Lottie’s quiet and tentative voice pulled her out of her thoughts. <em>Thank god. </em>She really needed to pull it together.</p><p>Looking around, Jess realised they were the only ones left in the dressing room, which was something that had never happened to her before. Fuck. She was so fucked up right now.</p><p>“Are you… mad at me?” Lottie whispered.</p><p>Sighing, Jess turned to look at her friends’ worried face, “Of course not Lottie, it’s fine. I wasn’t ever mad at <em> you</em>.”</p><p>Though, maybe she <em>had</em> avoided speaking to her all day. But that was mostly because she'd been distracted by Bobby. Possibly a tiny bit because she really didn’t want to know all the details of Lottie’s love... square?</p><p>“Are you mad at Lucas?” she asked, frowning.</p><p>Ugh. No. Yes. Maybe. </p><p>It was something she’d been avoiding thinking about since she’d spoken to him earlier that day. Though, she wasn’t confused about anything to do with Lottie. She was confused because he’d asked something that kept coming back over and over again, haunting her.</p><p>
  <em> “Can you seriously see something long term with Bobby?” </em>
</p><p>It just kept trying to come to the forefront of her mind, trying to force her to think about it, force her to come up with an answer.</p><p>She had no fucking clue.</p><p>Sometimes, like when he was laughing and joking with her, she thought that she could see a future with him. The kind when they were cuddled on a couch, sharing silly gifs of animals back and forth. </p><p>But then other times, when he had his hands on her body and all she could think about was how much she wanted him, she wasn’t sure. Wasn’t sure if she liked him, or just wanted to fuck him. She couldn’t tell the difference between the two.</p><p>To be fair, she wasn’t really trying to figure it out either.</p><p>Like she’d said; she was focussing on her sexual frustration and ignoring the rest.</p><p>And especially ignoring answering Lottie’s question directly.</p><p>“I’m not mad at anyone, I promise.”</p><p>Lottie frowned for a moment, opening her mouth to say something, but luckily they were interrupted with a knock on the dressing room door.</p><p>As Bobby stepped into the room, Jess almost groaned at the stupid way she automatically smiled. God, just seeing him fucking lit her up from the inside. It was annoying as fuck. She was pissed at him goddamn it. When would her body work it out?</p><p>Bobby’s eyes flicked to Lottie, “Mind if I have a sec with Jess?”</p><p>Shrugging, Lottie stood up and walked towards the door, “Sure, I think she was just going to avoid all my questions anyway.”</p><p>
  <em> Oh great. Awkward Lottie is gone and now we’re back to being-a-snarky-bitch Lottie. </em>
</p><p>Jess was kind of relieved about it actually.</p><p>The second Lottie was gone, Jess looked at Bobby, giving him her best seductive look as she slowly stood from her seat. </p><p>She may or may not have worn this ridiculously short, silky, black, slip dress with lace trimming, just for him. And, as it turns out, it had been one hundred percent worth it as she watched him suck in a breath, eyes roaming up and down her figure.</p><p>“Shit Jess,” he breathed out, “Yeh look stunning.”</p><p>“Yeah? Ready to take back what you said about not fucking me?”</p><p>Jaw slack, still unashamedly eyeing her body, he muttered a decidedly unsure sounding, “Er… noooo...”</p><p>Fueled by the ego trip she was on, and maybe her desire to make it all that much worse for him, she walked over to where he stood, putting one hand on his chest as she tiptoed to whisper in his ear, “Yeah? What if I’m not wearing anything under this?”</p><p>Her proximity allowed her the satisfaction of hearing him swallow and god it felt good. But, downside, now she wasn’t sure if she was turning him on, or herself.</p><p>“Are yeh?”</p><p>She definitely was. But that error could be easily rectified.</p><p>Taking a step back so he could watch, she slowly trailed her fingers up the outside of her thighs, allowing the hem of her dress to lift up as she made her way to her hips. To his credit, Bobby kept his eyes trained on her face, a muscle twitching in his jaw as he struggled not to look down, fists clenching at his side.</p><p>Hooking her thumbs into her thongs, she pulled them down her thighs, allowing them to drop to the floor, and her dress to fall back in place before she smirked at him.</p><p>“Not anymore.”</p><p>“Fuck. That’s nae even <em> close </em>tae fair, Lass.”</p><p>“All’s fair in love -”</p><p>Closing the distance between them with one step, Bobby cut her off by crashing his lips onto hers, sliding his tongue into her mouth almost instantly, clearly done with fucking around. His hands found her thighs, his grip desperate as he attempted to pull her dress back over her hips.</p><p>
  <em> Oh god. Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Gasping, she took hold of his wrists, stopping him as she pulled her lips away, breathing far heavier than she wanted to be as she reminded him, “You said no.”</p><p>“Jess…”</p><p>Even though all she’d thought about all day was this very moment - the one when he’d give in to her - she felt super attractive right now, and, well, she wanted to tease him a little more. Torture him as much as he tortured her today.</p><p>“Nope,” she said in a cheerful voice.</p><p>Picking her thong up from the ground, she slowly slid the material into the front pocket of his jeans, <em> possibly </em>copping a feel while she was at it.</p><p>Okay, okay, she definitely did.</p><p>“Keep hold of those for me yeah?” she whispered as he let out a groan.</p><p>Before he could grab hold of her again, she stepped out of his reach and sauntered out the door, swinging her hips wide as she did, knowing he’d be watching.</p><p>Holy fuck; the <em>power</em> she felt in that moment.</p><p>Turns out though, the joke was mostly on her.</p><p>She couldn't stop thinking about his face, his lips, his hands, <em>oh god</em>, his body. So much so that by the time they’d all gotten to the firepit, she was horny as <em> fuck</em>. She could literally feel how wet she was; her thighs sticky.</p><p>
  <em> Crap. I should have worn underwear. </em>
</p><p>It was a <em> struggle </em>to keep her face neutral so the rest of the Islanders wouldn’t be able to read her thoughts on her face. She really hoped her desire wasn’t as obvious as she felt like it was.</p><p>She tried to get her lust under control, but she just couldn’t <em> stop</em>. It was Jess and Bobby’s porno playing more vividly in her mind than it ever had before. Him on his knees in front of her as she screams his name; him bending her over the kitchen counter slamming himself into her so hard it hurts; her a hot, sweaty, moaning mess as he whispers dirty things in her ear; his cock in her mouth, eyes locked on his as she watches him come.</p><p>Fuck. She’d never wanted anyone more in her entire life.</p><p>And the way he was looking at her made the whole thing worse. It was like he was going to eat her alive. And <em> fuck </em>did she want that. </p><p>She couldn’t think about anything else, couldn’t hear anything else, literally had no clue what was happening around her. All she could do was stare at Bobby and try not to melt into a puddle.</p><p>Good news is that Bobby was clearly just as distracted as she was, as evidenced by the fact that Henrik had to push him to get his attention and tell him that it was his turn.</p><p>
  <em> Shit.  </em>
</p><p>Was he first? Second? Last? Jess had no fucking clue whatsoever at this point. She didn’t even want to break eye contact with Bobby by looking around to double check. She gave absolutely zero fuck’s about anyone else. </p><p>Her world was narrowed down to a single fucking thought: getting Bobby alone as soon as fucking possible.</p><p>Standing up, Bobby cleared his throat, still staring directly at her and the husky timber of his voice literally made her shiver as he said, “Yeah... I’m choosing this girl because she’s great. The girl I want to couple up with is Jess.”</p><p>On shaky legs, Jess made her way to Bobby, trying to keep her face chill. Acting like everything was fine. She didn’t want to tear his fucking clothes off. She was cool. </p><p>
  <em> Fuck. Please let me look like a normal person right now. </em>
</p><p>Bending down, he gave her a light kiss on the cheek, which she appreciated. Anything more and it would have quickly escalated into a live porn show for everyone.</p><p>As they took their seats, Bobby wrapped an arm around her, digging his fingers into her hip and holding her tight against him. </p><p>She’d hoped not making eye contact with him would mean it was easier to pay attention to the rest of the recoupling, but she was fucking wrong. She <em> still </em>could not concentrate on a single fucking thing except where Bobby was touching her. She felt fucking crazy.</p><p>Placing a hand on his thigh, she pretended to pay attention to whatever was happening while she slowly moved her pinky in circles on the inside of his thigh. Very quietly, she heard him grunt, reaching his other hand out to grip her wrist as though to stop her. However, he subtly spread his legs just a little wider to allow her more access.</p><p>
  <em>Oh fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Could everyone just fuck off right now?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please?</em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At this point, Bobby’s entire body was fucking desperate for her; all he could think about was getting her alone and making her scream his name.</p><p>Why was he even bothering to sit here and endure this torture? He wasn’t able to concentrate on a single goddamn thing. Especially not as her hand slowly slid higher and higher up his thigh. Fuck. He almost couldn’t take it anymore. Was <em> almost </em>ready to just throw her over his shoulder and hunt down a place they could be alone.</p><p>He definitely <em> shouldn’t </em>do that.</p><p>But fuck, he wanted to.</p><p>How did she even have this much power over him? It wasn’t fair at all.</p><p>“Are you coming Bobby?!” </p><p>Priya’s voice cut through the fog in his brain and he blinked at her, trying to make his eyes focus. Clearly Jess hadn’t been paying attention either; jumping a little at the sound and pulling herself away from him. </p><p>He absolutely <em> resented </em>the space she’d created between them. He missed her touch, missed her warmth.</p><p>And that made his voice a little rough as he addressed Priya, “Where?”</p><p>Priya frowned at him for a moment, “I figured Jess would want to talk to Lucas, so I thought you’d come join the rest of us for a drink?”</p><p>Now able to see past his overwhelming desire, he realised that it was just the three of them at the firepit; most of the others heading across the lawn, presumably towards the kitchen. He didn’t care at all.</p><p>“Nae, I’m tired,” Bobby said dismissively, hoping she’d just fuck off.</p><p>“Right,” Priya said, clearly not getting the hint, and looking at Jess, “Well, you’ll join us later?”</p><p>“Ah, yeah, after I speak to Lucas, right?”</p><p>With a slow, kind of confused nod, Priya finally walked off, leaving the two of them alone.</p><p>
  <em>Christ.</em>
</p><p>Turning to Jess, he found her staring back at him, her eyes lighter than they’d been as she’d stood giving him that ‘I want your cock in my mouth’ look while she waited to be chosen.</p><p>“Yer nae going tae talk tae Lucas,” he told her matter-of-factly.</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes at him and scoffed, “No, I’m not.”</p><p>He didn’t even realise he’d been holding his breath until it rushed out of him in relief.</p><p>Abruptly getting to her feet, she said, “Upstairs bathroom. Five minutes.”</p><p>Then, without waiting for a reply or confirmation, she sauntered off towards the Villa, leaving him sitting at the fireplace alone, hard as fuck, and unable to stop thinking about how he had her stupidly tiny black lace panties in his fucking pocket right now.</p><p>It had been less than twelve hours since he’d told her he wanted to take it slow, and she only had to snap her fingers and he folded. Fuck.</p><p>How the hell he was going to stop himself from fucking her?</p><p>With great fucking difficulty, that’s for sure.</p><p>The walk to the bathroom was both incredibly long and surprisingly short. Honestly, he’s not even sure how he got here. People might have called out to him. He might have waved at someone. Who the fuck knows? </p><p>All he knew with absolute certainty was that Jess was on the other side of the door, and his heart might actually give out at some point soon.</p><p>Stepping through the door, he found her leaning back against the sink, looking relaxed and casual. Well, aside from the wild look in her eyes. She could bring a man to his knees with that look and it made adrenaline pump through his veins, unable to think about anything except kissing her.</p><p>
  <em> Fuck.  </em>
</p><p>Not wanting to waste another second, he locked the door and closed the space, pulling her against him and kissed her, hard. And fuck, the way she kissed him back, as if she too was desperate for this, it drove him even closer to insanity. He felt drunk off the taste of her, and he wanted more.</p><p>He wished he could say he held it together, but he definitely didn’t. Their kiss was messy and frantic as they both leant heavily into their want; her practically ripping the stupid shirt off his body, him yanking her dress up over her hips. </p><p>Hoisting her up onto the counter, he stepped between her legs and ran his thumbs up the inside of her thighs, having to bite back a moan at finding the tops of her thighs slick. Christ. The thought of her being as turned on as he’d been almost killed him.</p><p>And then her hands found the button of his jeans, roughly undoing them, not even bothering to pull them down before she shoved a hand inside his boxers and wrapped her fingers around him.</p><p>“Fuck,” he grunted out, biting down on her lip a little harder than he meant to as she slowly started moving her hand up and down. God. Her hands were just so fucking soft, and the sounds of her panting, the way her thighs were squirming under his hands - all of it was just so <em> hot</em>.</p><p>Pulling her face away, she stared at him, her jaw slack, eyes dark and filled with lust, lips swollen and red. Fuck. She looked like all the fantasies he’d ever had in his life, come true. All the blood rushed to his dick and for a second, he couldn’t breathe.</p><p>And then that second extended into a full minute as she whispered, “Bobby, touch me, <em> please</em>.”</p><p>“Captain B-Smooth,” he managed to choke out, though fuck knows why he was trying to joke right now.</p><p>She made an adorably frustrated sound in her throat as she glared at him and he fell a little harder for her in that moment; incredibly aroused by her annoyance with him. Using her free hand, she grabbed hold of hand and pressed it against her.</p><p>Fuck. Crap. He couldn’t stop the needy groan that left him as he slid his fingers across her slit, revelling in just how fucking wet she was, how turned on she was. <em> By him. </em></p><p>He wanted to tease her, he really did, but he couldn’t anymore, he needed to watch her come apart; the quicker the better. He watched her face as he slowly slid a finger inside her, enjoying the way she gasped and her eyes glazed over for a moment. God. Between how fucking goregous she was, her hand still pumping him slowly and how fucking amazing she felt around his fingers. He really wasn’t sure if this was real life.</p><p>Crashing his lips onto hers again, he slid his tongue inside her mouth, matching the movements of his fingers as he added a second and pressed his thumb to her clit.</p><p>He swallowed her moans as she moved a hand to clutch his shoulder, hips rolling against his hand, and moving her hand on his cock harder and faster, twisting on the upstroke in a way that made his whole body feel as though it were on fire.</p><p>It was hot and desperate and sweaty, not at all like he <em> wanted </em>it to be, but exactly how he needed it. </p><p>Her fingers dug painfully into his skin as he worked her closer and closer, paying attention to the pressure that made her jerk, the speed that made her gasp and the angle that made her tighten around him. He wanted to memorise it all; learn everything there was to know.</p><p>“I’m so close,” she breathed out suddenly and the idea that she was going to come around his fingers made his head spin.</p><p>He curled his fingers inside her and pressed his thumb harder against her clit, making her cry out, the sound bouncing off the walls of the bathroom.</p><p>Shit, he hoped no one was in the Villa at the moment. Not that he’d really cared.</p><p>Her hand slowed on him, but he didn’t give a fuck because she clenched around his fingers, her body twitching against him, all he could think about was how it would feel to have her come on his cock. He felt light-headed and dizzy as he worked her through her orgasm, her quiet, breathy moans making his throat tighten.</p><p>“God, <em> fuck</em>,” she mumbled, grabbing his wrist to pull his hand away from her. He almost whined at not having his fingers inside her anymore, but then, she looked him in the eyes and brought his fingers to her mouth, at the exact same time as she restarted her previous rhythm.</p><p>And <em> fuck</em>, he already felt on the edge, already so fucking turned on, this was going to be embarrassingly quick and he didn’t even care that much.</p><p>“Fuck, Jess, I’m gonna come,” he grunted, closing his eyes as she pulled his fingers from her mouth and started kissing along his jawline.</p><p>Her hot breath on his ear sent shivers down his spine as she whispered, “Come for me.”</p><p>That’s it, that’s all he needed to tip him over the edge; his body jerking as white hot pleasure ripped through his body and he gripped the counter top to stop his knees from buckling. </p><p>As he came down, she pressed light kisses all over his face and chest; sweet, soft kisses that made his heart pump even harder than it already was.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god. I'm such a melt for her.</em>
</p><p>Opening his eyes, he saw her smile at him, a content, lazy action that he couldn’t help but return.</p><p>She was literally everything he ever wanted.</p><p>“Shit,” he muttered on a breathy laugh.</p><p>With a smug giggle, she pulled her hand out of his boxers, making eye contact with him as she slowly licked his cum off one of her fingers. Fuck. He choked a little, the sight almost making him hard again. He couldn’t stand it.</p><p>Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her hand away from her face so she couldn’t do that anymore. Jesus Christ, why? </p><p>“Jess, fuck, do yeh <em> have </em> tae be so fucking sexy <em> all </em> the time?” </p><p>She clicked her tongue in annoyance, pushing him back slightly so she could jump off the counter. As her feet hit the floor, she had to steady herself, her legs shaking slightly underneath her and honestly, it felt great. He couldn't help himself from chuckling and she shot him a glare for it.</p><p>To be fair, the only reason <em>he</em> hadn't moved much is because he didn't want to embarrass himself if he stumbled too.</p><p>Well, that, and his brain was basically mush. Both from his release and from her just... fucking being her.</p><p>Pulling her dress back down, Jess walked to the sink, washing her hands before finding a flannel from the cupboard. She ran it under the water then handed it to him so he could clean himself up, a massive smirk on her face as she did so.</p><p>He might have been annoyed by it, but her face was still flushed, her eyes still glassy, her hair still messed up.</p><p>She wasn't even <em>trying</em> to be sexy. She just was. Twenty-four seven.</p><p>“All I’m saying is yeh could give me a break every once and a while.”</p><p>“Where’s the fun in that?”</p><p>Then, with a shrug, she turned on her heel and strutted out of the bathroom, leaving him there alone and a little confused.</p><p>Why did it feel like he'd lost some kind of game? </p><p>Also, how the hell was she able to fucking strut?</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I have completely lost control of this situation.</em>
</p><p>The rest of the night passed by with him pretending to pay attention to what other people were saying, while making secret eyes at Jess and replaying every second of their moment alone over and over again in his mind.</p><p>And <em>maybe</em> he'd also been wondering if she'd let him drag her off somewhere again.</p><p>By the time they were called for bed, Bobby was not in the mood to chat with anyone as he usually would. Instead he just lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as he waited for Jess to join him.</p><p>Okay, he was also praying to whoever would listen that having her next to him all night wouldn't be as torturous as it sounded like it'd be.</p><p>How the fuck was he going to put up with sleeping next to her for the rest of their time here if he was already dreading tonight?</p><p>And how in god's name was he meant to keep his hands off her?</p><p>All of a sudden, all the chatter in the room went quiet as Priya called out, “<em>Damn</em> girl.”</p><p>Lifting his head, Bobby caught eyes with Jess and had to press his lips together to stop from groaning out loud.</p><p>Well. It's official. He wasn't getting <em>any</em> sleep tonight.</p><p>Gone were her usual cotton pj's, now replaced with a sheer black dress that had just enough lace flowers on the top to cover her nipples. The bottom of the dress had no such luck; showing off a pair of skimpy black panties. Fuck.</p><p>And <em>yeah</em>, he'd noticed that every single guy in the room basically had their eyes bugging out as they looked her over.</p><p>And <em>yeah</em>, it kinda turned him on to know that they all thought she was hot, and she'd been coming on <em>his</em> fingers a few hours ago.</p><p>“What’s with the get-up Jess?” Lottie asked her with a smirk.</p><p>“My usual is in the laundry.” Jess shrugged casually, like it was no big deal, strolling across the room as though nothing was out of the ordinary. As though she wasn't practically naked right now. As though she hadn't purposefully worn that outfit to kill him.</p><p>He knew better than <em>that</em>.</p><p>Not even her sweet, innocent smile as she got into bed could fool him.</p><p>There would be absolutely no cuddling tonight. No fucking way. He can <em>not</em> handle that.</p><p>Fuck, he couldn’t even look at her anymore.</p><p>Rolling on his side so he was facing away from her, he shifted as close to the edge of the bed as possible. He was in for a rough night.</p><p>Once the lights went out, she moved closer to him, wrapping an arm around his waist as she whispered in his ear, “To answer your question from earlier Bee, yes, I <em>do</em> have to be sexy all the time.”</p><p>“Yer the worst,” he muttered grumpily.</p><p>“Mhmmm, I know.”</p><p>He groaned quietly, reluctantly tangling his legs with hers and shifting back against her. Yeah, yeah, he knows he said no cuddling, but he couldn't help it.</p><p>As he let himself relax a little, he whispered, “I like yeh a lot though.”</p><p>“I know,” she said, kissing him softly on the shoulder.</p><p>He closed his eyes, unable to stop himself from wishing she'd said it back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have some sad news! I'm taking a five week break to go on holiday and sip cocktails on a beach. Not really sorry about <i>that</i>, but I <i>am</i> sorry we won't be able to get our Jess &amp; Bobby fix. Don't worry, I shall update as soon as I'm back from living my best life.</p><p>I'll still be around if you wanna chat (u/blueberry_cupcak3s) or feel free to yell at me in the comments. </p><p>Awww... I'm gonna miss Jess &amp; Bobby. And y'all too! See ya soon xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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